OKC Thunder: Power Rankings all teams at the trade deadline
169. . 11-30. Previous: 28th. Houston Rockets. 30. team
Houston Rockets: Sellers
Week 13: 0-4
Offense: (105.1) 28th
Defense: (111.3) 13th
Net: (Minus -6.2) 27th
Several Rockets could find themselves in new jerseys following the trade deadline. The most obvious is Victor Oladipo who declined the two-year $45 million extension offer from Houston.
He’s made no secret his desire is to join the Heat which might fit the timeline of having him fill the Goran Dragic role in the future. But will Pat Riley be keen to pay Dipo (who hasn’t returned to his pre-injury form) the contract (dollars and term) he wants?
A team who’ll come up frequently in this week’s power rankings that would have fewer issues paying the former All-Star is the New York Knicks. The question in this situation is having both Dipo and Derrick Rose redundant?
Sure Rose is a point guard and Dipo more of a combo guard but they don’t make logical sense. Plus the Knicks are supposed to be focusing on building the young foundation. Oladipo turns 30 on May 4th. And, Thibs team keeps gaining older players such as Rose (32), Taj Gibson (35), Alec Burks (29), Reggie Bullock (30), and Austin Rivers (28).
In fact, of the Knicks under 27 (Nerlens Noel turns 27 on April 10th) only RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson play 20 or more minutes per game.
Michael Scotto and Kelly Iko of the Athletic appeared on the HoopsHype podcast stating the Knicks, Heat and Nuggets are all potential landing spots but the Warriors bowed out based on the asking price.
If the Rockets elect to go all-in they may test the waters on Eric Gordon. The 32-year-old has dealt with injury trouble this season and regression of his 3-point efficiency. However, on the right contending team, he could play a vital role given his playoff experience and ability to fill several roles.
Likewise, wings Danuel House and Ben McLemore could be economical pickups to add depth to a contender.
No role for the OKC Thunder with this team other than to keep a side-eye on their win totals and hope for some ascent upward. As Intentions noted previously, the Rockets pick will convey if they land fifth or higher in the lottery but we’ll have to wait for the bingo balls to drop before that question gets answered.