US media simulated trade plan: Rockets send away two point guards + first round, champion guard joins hands with Durant

Although the Rockets defeated the Mavericks in the previous game, looking at the entire game, the Rockets' ball movement was not smooth. With VanVleet last season, the Rockets' offense was very smooth. Although Jaylen Green's performance is good and bad, VanVleet's ability to control the field, grasp of passing, and his passing awareness are all top-notch in the league.

Now that Rockets veteran VanVleet is out for the season, Uduka can only send young point guards like Shepard and Amen Thompson onto the court, but the effect is not good. When Shepard played high-end games, his performance was average. He performed very poorly on the defensive end and could not guard the opponent's star point guard at all.

Although Amen Thompson is good at defense, his spatial attributes are too poor. So far, in so many games, he has only made two three-pointers. He had a record of 0-for-10 three-pointers before, which is quite embarrassing. Moreover, Amen Thompson's athletic ability is top-notch, but his passing and controlling ability is average. If the Rockets can get a traditional point guard, then they will definitely become a strong contender for the championship.

Although the Celtics team that was dismantled this season seems to still have strength, it is obviously far from its peak strength back then. And their point guard Derrick White's shooting percentage has been very poor this season. If the Rockets can pursue Derrick White, then the Rockets have every chance of winning the championship. The US media BR has given a set of three-party simulated trading plans.

The Rockets sent their veteran VanVleet and rookie point guard Shepard, as well as two first-round picks in 2027 and 29, to acquire White from the Celtics, Highsmith from the Nets, and a $5 million trade exception.

The Celtics received the Rockets' rookie point guard Shepard, the Rockets' 2029 first-round pick, the Nets' Jaylen Wilson, and a 28.1 million trade exception. The Nets received Rockets veteran VanVleet and a 27-year first-round pick. In this case, these teams can each get what they need.

The Nets, a third-party team, got the veteran VanVleet to add stability and experience to their backcourt, and the young players also got a "court coach." Moreover, VanVleet's contract will expire in two years, which will free up a lot of salary space. At the same time, the Nets also received a valuable first-round pick in 2027, which is very conducive to their reconstruction.

The Celtics also received a first-round pick, which is also very valuable, and they also received Sheppard, a potential point guard, and Jaylen Wilson of the Nets, which can also strengthen their immediate combat capabilities. Although the Rockets lost two point guards and gave away two first-round picks, in exchange for an All-Star point guard like Derrick White, their last shortcoming was also made up.

It is well known that the Rockets need point guards. White's defensive ability is excellent, and his passing and ball control skills are not inferior to VanVleet's. And among the Rockets, even if White's shooting percentage is low, the Rockets don't need him to score, because they have Shen Jing, Durant, Smith Jr., and even Amen Thompson who can switch to forward. With so many scorers, Derrick White just needs to be normal.