The Houston Rockets don’t have a starting point guard. Well, they do – 2019 championship veteran Fred VanVleet. But he can’t exactly take point while sitting out the season with injury. So the team doesn’t have a starting point guard they can actually play. Unsurprisingly, Houston’s offense seems to be suffering as a result. Now, according to Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko, the Rockets are dismissing trading for any of the league’s available star guards before the deadline. Is it as crazy as it sounds?
Why Rockets Are Steering Clear Of These Star Guard Trades
The Rockets secured a much-needed win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, 110-105, lifting them out of their recent struggles. Over the last 10 games, the Rockets have a bottom-10 offensive rating and are 5-5. Their three-point percentage in that span has been 28.8%, second-worst in the league.
Beating the Wolves hardly swept any of the Rockets’ issues under the rug. The Rockets finally shot well, but on low volume—just 12 of 28 from three, with 6 of those makes by Kevin Durant. On top of that, the Minnesotans were without star Anthony Edwards. The Rockets still needed every bit of an efficient 39 from the 37-year-old Durant.
Houston needs ways to generate offense more easily. Having Alperen Sengun back in the lineup certainly helps. Maybe experimenting with some small-ball lineups and better spacing could help as well. A real point guard would help even more. Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade had a suggestion on Amazon Prime. He thinks the team should go get future Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
Does Chris Paul Count?
Paul still hasn’t played a game since he was “sent home” by the Los Angeles Clippers in December. Across the league, the move was widely panned as classless. Paul is the greatest Clipper of all time, whatever that might be worth. He’d already announced a retirement tour with the franchise. His message of accountability seemed relevant for one of the worst transition defenses in the league.
But the Clippers have actually turned their season around since Paul’s departure. Of course, that probably doesn’t have much to do with Paul being a little annoying. Kawhi Leonard has simply been enjoying his annual stint as a top-ten player in the NBA.
But, crucially, Paul just isn’t a significant difference-maker at this point in his career. His pass-first mentality encourages teams not to really bother guarding him. Size and age limit him considerably on defense. Over 16 games in 2025-26, he averaged just 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 32.1% from the field and 33.3% from three.
Point God Ex Machina isn’t going to right Houston’s rocket ship. A constellation of available star guards is on the radar, though. Houston just doesn’t seem interested in stopping there as it sputters on towards the February 5th trade deadline.
The Star Guards the Rockets Could Trade For
Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, and Darius Garland all have their own issues. They wouldn’t be loosely considered “available” if they didn’t. The biggest one they share is health.
Since Morant’s last All-Star season in 2022-23, he simply hasn’t been able to stay on the court. He played nine games in 2023-24, 50 games in 2024-25, and has already missed 21 games in 2025-26.
Even when he plays, his production has lagged behind his star reputation. He’s currently averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game on 40.1% from the field and 20.8% from three. Houston chose to deliberately let Morant shoot in a matchup earlier this season. Morant clearly isn’t happy in Memphis, and his underperformance may be related. Teams potentially interested in acquiring him, though, see a malcontent and coaching headache. That probably includes the Rockets.
There’s Only One Ball (on the Hornets anyway)
Speaking of coaching headaches, Ball probably fits the bill. Ball is averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists on 41.9% from the field and 37.9% from three this season. He’s an electric presence on the court and a perfect muse for the most animated commentator in the league. His freestyling approach to offense might actually suit Houston coach Ime Udoka’s laissez-faire approach to that end. The free backcuts to the rim he gives up on defense would be less favorable to Udoka.
The biggest knock on Ball is still his health. From 2022-23 to 2024-25, Ball played 105 of 246 possible games. That’s 42.7%. Ball’s high usage (14th in the league) when he does play makes his absences and reintegrations especially challenging. Houston might be interested if the Charlotte Hornets were desperate to move on from Ball. That desperation is yet to materialize.
The Best Option In Guard Land?
Garland doesn’t have any reported attitudinal issues. Compared with Ball and Morant, he’s been much healthier, too. This season, he’s averaging 18.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on 45.1% from the field and 36.0% from three. Garland has never been the pure scorer that Morant was at his peak. He’s not the crunch-time wizard Ball has been at times, either. But Garland would seem to fit nicely as a passer, initiator, and floor spacer alongside Houston’s stars, Sengun and Durant.
The Rockets probably don’t like what Garland would cost them. They can’t trade VanVleet because of his effective no-trade clause. The Cleveland Cavaliers are also over the second apron, which makes deal-making magnitudes more difficult. Finally, there’s a strong possibility that Udoka would just hate playing him. Garland has the worst defensive rating on the Cavs. Would Udoka really yank around the former All-Star’s minutes the way he does sophomore Reed Sheppard’s? Probably.
The Last Word on Rockets’ Star Guard Trades
Udoka’s entire schtick as a coach is basically that he’ll bench anyone at any time if he feels they aren’t playing hard enough. Managing egos is not part of the equation. Having to coach a star guard sounds like a personal nightmare for him. Unfortunately, his attempts at offensive play calling are a little nightmarish as well. Maybe the Rockets should grab Paul after all. If nothing else, he could help yell at the players for not trying hard enough and maybe teach Udoka how an NBA offense is supposed to work.
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