The Houston Rockets have told rival front offices they are prepared to discuss trade proposals for almost every player on their roster, with second-year guard Amen Thompson standing as the lone near-untouchable, Yahoo Sports reported.
General manager Rafael Stone had publicly praised last season’s group after the club’s playoff exit, but league sources said Houston’s perspective shifted while watching the Western Conference finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City and the NBA Finals between San Antonio and New York. Team officials reportedly concluded the current roster is not yet positioned to contend for a conference title or championship, prompting a broader openness to trade conversations.
According to the report, Houston is not actively shopping marquee names such as Alperen Şengün or Kevin Durant. However, inquiries on those players are no longer being dismissed outright, and the Rockets are evaluating multiple scenarios rather than committing to a full run-back of last year’s squad.
Restricted free agent forward Tari Eason has drawn interest from several clubs, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, sources told Yahoo Sports. Those teams have gauged whether Houston might consider a sign-and-trade for the 25-year-old, though the Rockets are said to prefer re-signing him.
Veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith is viewed internally as a plausible trade candidate who could help create additional spending flexibility. Despite coming off the least productive season of his career, the three-and-D specialist has reportedly attracted “reasonable” interest around the league.
Houston also intends to revisit rookie-scale extension talks with Thompson after this week’s NBA draft, the report added.
Source: Hoops Rumors
