Houston Rockets Trade Rumors: Deal In Works With Denver Nuggets At NBA Deadline?

Houston Rockets trade rumors reveal that the team may be looking to make a move before the NBA trade deadline on February 23. This could be a response to the New Orleans Pelicans acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings, or it could simply be that the team feels that having another weapon on offense could be important during the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Either way, the Rockets are getting mentioned as possible trade partners with the Denver Nuggets.

A report by NBA analyst Chris Haynes states that fans should keep an eye on the Rockets going after Nuggets small forward Wilson Chandler. With Danilo Gallinari commanding most of the minutes at the position as the starter for the Nuggets, it has certainly made Chandler expendable. He is also one of the more expensive bench players in the league, giving the front office every incentive to deal him before the NBA trade deadline.

Chandler has played 50 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. As for his salary, Chandler makes $11.2 million this season, $12 million next year, and $12.8 million the following season. In regard to his performance on the court, those numbers make him affordable at this salary level, but Chandler is better suited to be part of the starting rotation. That hasn’t stopped him from finding success off the bench for the Nuggets.

There will be no shortage of teams getting linked to the Denver Nuggets and Wilson Chandler as the NBA trade deadline approaches. While the Houston Rockets trade rumors might make sense for the team, there could be a bidding war to pry Chandler away from the Nuggets. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, he has also been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans. The Clippers could really use another weapon on offense, but that is another team that doesn’t have a lot of assets to give up this season.

The biggest team getting mentioned in the Wilson Chandler “sweepstakes” is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chandler could give the Cavs another shooter off the bench, which would be very valuable as the team tries to play without Kevin Love in the second half. Chandler might be too expensive for the Cavs, though, as it would likely mean giving up Iman Shumpert in a deal. A more realistic scenario is for the Cavs to acquire another point guard, but that won’t stop Chandler from coming up in new NBA rumors.

Going back to these Houston Rockets trade rumors, the team is clearly in a position to contend for the Western Conference title and a spot in the NBA Finals. The Rockets currently boast a 40-18 record, putting them as the No. 3 seed in the West. That’s four games ahead of the L.A. Clippers (35-21) and four games behind the San Antonio Spurs (43-13).

If the NBA Playoffs were to begin today (February 20), the Rockets would have a first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. Adding another weapon on offense could help the team not only secure home-court advantage in the first round but possibly work at catching the Spurs in the Southwest Division. That could be why Wilson Chandler is getting mentioned as a possible target of the front office this week.

A new report by Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix of the Vertical stated that the Oklahoma City Thunder are also expressing interest in Chandler, adding another team to the mix. OKC could likely use Chandler the most, as the team needs to give All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook more weapons to work with. Could OKC become a real threat by adding another good three-point shooter before the NBA trade deadline?

Denver Nuggets fans have to be frustrated with how the team keeps getting mentioned in trade rumors, as they are still the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets could easily qualify for the NBA Playoffs if the front office keeps the roster intact, but it has sounded like there is too much fear of a first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. From that standpoint, maybe the Houston Rockets can pry Wilson Chandler away from the Nuggets for nothing more than a future second-round draft pick and offer to pay his full salary.

[Featured Image by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]