Just days before the start of training camp, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending ACL injury. With VanVleet sidelined, the Rockets are expected to lean on second-year guard Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday, with versatile wing Amen Thompson also expected to receive reps as the primary initiator.
Nonetheless, the backcourt duo of Sheppard and Holiday doesn’t inspire much confidence. Sheppard, the third overall pick in 2024, appeared in just 52 games as a rookie, averaging 4.4 points while shooting 35.1 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from three.
Holiday, on the other hand, is a seven-year pro, but has only started 66 games in his career. Primarily a role player, Holiday holds career averages of 6.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 three-pointers per game.
Fred VanVleet’s devastating injury causes ripple effect for Rockets
Consequently, with Thompson locked in as the starting shooting guard, the Rockets still need to determine who will run the offense. Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and even 36-year-old Kevin Durant are all capable playmakers, but Houston lacks a true floor general whose primary job is to get those stars the ball in the right spots.
While adding a free agent, such as former Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, might seem logical, it isn’t financially feasible. Houston sits just $1.25 million below the first apron, leaving a trade as the only realistic path to bolstering its guard depth.
Another complication: Houston has only six trade-eligible players after several splash moves this offseason. The eligible players are Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson.
Of the six players, only Eason and Sheppard seem realistically tradeable. Between the two, Eason is both the more desirable asset and the one most likely to be moved.
Unlike Sheppard, Eason is a proven contributor, having appeared in 161 games and averaged 22.8 minutes per contest in his first three seasons. Over that span, he’s averaged 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Though his stats are impressive for a reserve—with only 21 starts—Houston’s heavy investment in the frontcourt makes Eason arguably expendable. Coupled with playing a reserve role throughout his career, the 24-year-old wing could be motivated to seek a move elsewhere.
The Bulls make sense as an ideal trade partner with the Rockets
With that in mind, the Chicago Bulls are a team that could benefit from acquiring Eason. The Bulls have prioritized revamping their forward unit, drafting Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue while trading for Kevin Huerter and Isaac Okoro.
Furthermore, Chicago has two prime trade candidates, guards Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White. While each plays a key role for the franchise, both are approaching significant contract extensions and are currently on relatively inexpensive deals compared to their production.
Many expect Chicago to at least dangle one of Dosunmu or White ahead of next offseason, which will also feature a slew of players entering unrestricted free agency. To get ahead of the curve, the Bulls could be tempted by Eason’s expiring contract and offer one of the two guards in exchange for the fourth-year wing.
While White may be too costly for a straight swap, Dosunmu makes sense as a player-for-player trade. The 6-foot-5 guard is versatile, able to play on- and off-ball, and contributes on both ends of the floor. He’s essentially a smaller version of Eason.
On the other hand, Dosunmu might not be a perfect fit for a straight player-for-player swap. The Rockets clearly value Eason, who has played a significant role that extended into the postseason. Still, Houston’s need for a true ball-handler could outweigh the desire to keep him.
As stated earlier, Eason is expendable—Dorian Finney-Smith, Smith Jr., and Thompson are under contract for the next few seasons, while Durant is more likely than not to finish his career in Houston. Paying Eason a significant sum is overkill, something Houston already knows, or will figure out sooner than later.
