NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Hints At Major Plan After Waiving Danuel House Jr

Lack of depth remains one of the biggest problems for the Houston Rockets in the 2018-19 NBA season so most people are surprised when they recently decided to part ways with Danuel House Jr. The 25-year-old small forward has managed to provide a spark in the Rockets’ second unit in the last five games, averaging 8.3 points on 39.4 percent shooting from the field.

However, after the unexpected roster move, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle revealed that the Rockets are planning to make a “follow-up deal” soon. Their decision to waive Danuel House Jr. indicates the Rockets’ confidence about their next move.

“The Rockets waived House, a day after he played 12 minutes in a loss at Minnesota as P.J. Tucker’s primary backup at power forward, but could bring him back depending on other potential deals. The Rockets are seeking a deal this week, in time to possibly include a player involved in another trade before the Feb. 7 deadline, the person with knowledge of the plans said. The decision to waive House could indicate confidence that a deal will be made, though it comes at the risk that House would be picked up on waivers.”

Feigen didn’t mention any specific details about the Rockets’ plan, but since the 2018 NBA offseason, Houston has been active on the trade market, searching for a defensive-minded player who could fill the hole left by Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute. The Rockets may have acquired Carmelo Anthony from the buyout market, but the 10-time NBA All-Star proved to be an odd fit in Houston which made them decide to shut him down after 10 games.

Report: Houston Rockets waive Danuel House https://t.co/oDTf2ZrWCN

— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) December 4, 2018

Even before the 2018-19 NBA season officially started, the Rockets have already been linked to several NBA players who could boost their wing. They have tried to acquire Jimmy Butler by offering a trade package including four first-round picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the All-Star forward ended up being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, some of the Rockets’ potential trade targets right now include J.R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Iman Shumpert of the Sacramento Kings, Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets, C.J. Miles of the Toronto Raptors, and Kelly Oubre Jr. and Markieff Morris of the Washington Wizards.

As Feigen noted, the Rockets will be seeking a trade this week, but they can continue their hunt for a defensive-minded player until December 15 where players who signed a new contract in the last offseason will be eligible to be moved by their current teams.