The Houston Rockets have already had an interesting offseason, re-signing Chris Paul to a maximum contract but losing Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns. Obviously, we have not seen the least of the Rockets and it appears that they may have a trade target in mind to replace their starting small forward from last season.
According to a report from Kelly Iko from Rockets Wire , Houston is interested in acquiring Wilson Chandler from the Denver Nuggets to replace Ariza.
‘Daryl Morey and the front office staff will be looking at replacements, and according to one person with knowledge of Houston’s plans, veteran Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is one name that will be on their list of targets. The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss the Rockets’ plans. According to the person, Chandler, who previously played for Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni in New York, was a target for Houston during last year’s trade deadline, although a deal with Denver never materialized.”
Chandler would be an ideal fit for the Rockets to replace Ariza. He may not be as good of a perimeter defender, but he is a capable defender and can score the ball well. Denver has been shopping him in trade discussions over the past couple years, but have not found a deal that forced them to pull the trigger just yet.
The Houston Rockets have expressed interest in Wilson Chandler, according to a league source. https://t.co/1cWjMNn8CN
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) July 1, 2018
During the 2017-18 season with the Nuggets, Chandler ended up averaging 10.0 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. It was one of the most disappointing seasons he has had. Back in 2016-17, Chandler had a much better season with 15.7 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebound.
At 31 years old, Chandler has a couple years left in his prime. Being traded to Houston would give him a chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to compete for a championship.
There was no mention of what kind of trade the Rockets would have to give up to acquire Chandler. They don’t have many trade chips to use and their cap space will be tied up completely if they sign Clint Capela to a max contract. Chandler would be nice, but the money situation will have to be figured out before anything can happen.
Expect to hear plenty more rumors surrounding the Rockets this offseason. They were one game away from the NBA Finals last season and an addition or two might just put them over the top when it comes to competing with the Golden State Warriors.
