The Fred VanVleet news is crushing. No way around it. Just when the Rockets had positioned themselves on the top shelf of the contender conversation by trading for Kevin Durant and signing Dorian Finney-Smith, thee lose their starting point guard (almost certainly for the season) to a torn ACL before training camp has even begun.
VanVleet isn’t an All-Star, but he might as well be for what he means, or meant, to the Rockets. With all of their size, defense and now elite scoring in Durant, VanVleet was the one who was going to tie it all together. Amen Thompson is going to get his shot running the offense and maybe Reed Sheppard breaks out, but realistically, Houston has to be thinking about trade options to replace VanVleet. Here are 10 they should be considering.
Fred VanVleet injury ripple effects: What it could mean for Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and the Rockets
Sam Quinn
We’re swinging for the fences right out of the gate, and so should the Rockets. Boston is in a gap year. White is a considerable upgrade from VanVleet and is locked up for the next four years, so this wouldn’t, unlike a few other options we’ll talk about, be a short-term solution. White is the new Jrue Holiday. A winner in every sense and the perfect fit alongside any star in any system. If you’re on the cusp of contention, he’s the guy to put you over the top.
Problem is, Boston loves him as much as everyone else. Who knows if they would seriously entertain a deal, but if they did, it would cost something major. Fortunately, the Rockets have all kinds of draft capital to dangle and good young players/prospects in Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and/or Tari Eason. This should have…
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