Rockets could trade away stunning cornerstone player?

Mar 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; A detail of the Houston Rockets logo on the side of Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) shorts as he plays against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets might be willing to obliterate one timeline to chase another.

In an appearance Wednesday on “Get Up,” Brian Windhorst of ESPN suggested that Houston could potentially be open to dealing young big man Alperen Sengun. Windhorst notes that the Rockets, who also have the No. 3 overall pick in this week’s draft, would like to trade for Kevin Durant and could make the Sengun the centerpiece of their offer to the Phoenix Suns.

“If the Rockets take Donovan Clingan out of UConn, another center, which is an option for them, and now have a bunch of centers on their roster, that would potentially enable them to make Alperen Sengun, their very talented young Turkish center, available in that type of trade to dangle in front of the Suns,” said Windhorst.

A trade of the 21-year-old Sengun would be absolutely staggering. He is the best and most foundational player on Houston’s roster and is often described as Nikola Jokic Lite. Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game this past season and still has more room to grow at such a young age.

That said, the Rockets went a strong 12-6 to close out the season after Sengun was lost for the year with a knee injury in early March. Like Windhorst hinted at too, there should some good big man options available to Houston with their high-lottery pick.

We know that the Rockets are serious about chasing Durant and recently made a trade move that will make their offer even more competitive. But Houston’s willingness to even include Sengun in a possible deal shows that they really mean business here.

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