Rockets predicted to swap Fred VanVleet for $347M 9x All-Star to reunite with Kevin Durant originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Rockets are coming off a season in which they feel they fell well short of expectations. It was a difficult year for Houston, as the team spent much of the season dealing with injuries and rough stretches.
However, two significant injuries played a major role in the team's struggles. The injuries to Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet are believed to have stunted the team's growth.
“Interviews with team sources and those with knowledge of the team's operations reveal that the VanVleet injury, and the season-ending ankle injury to Steven Adams later on, impacted the team in ways that extended off the floor. Beyond the team's glaring lack of playmaking, their absences created a massive leadership void that Durant and the team struggled to fill,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon wrote.
Still, the Rockets believe they can make a move or two to become legitimate championship contenders. SI’s Eric Jay Santos believes Houston could trade Adams and VanVleet for Kyrie Irving.
“The most realistic trade package that the Rockets can offer for Irving is VanVleet and Steven Adams. In addition to nearly matching salaries, this deal would give Houston the opportunity to unlock one of the NBA’s top court generals in exchange for two players that have had availability concerns,” Santos wrote.
This would be an intriguing package for both teams, especially with the possibility that Irving could become available at some point this season.
“The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-times-an-All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches. The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is that fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19. Not your average age gap between the team's two best players,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote.
A deal like this would reunite Irving with Kevin Durant, his former teammate with the Brooklyn Nets. The two stars believe they should have made a Finals appearance during their time together in Brooklyn. Reuniting them in Houston would give the Rockets another elite offensive creator who can score, facilitate and create opportunities for his teammates.
Irving has made $347 million throughout his career so far. At this stage of their careers, both Irving and Durant undoubtedly want to compete for championships. A trade like this would give them another opportunity to chase that goal together.
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