The Houston Rockets had themselves a solid season, putting up 52 wins and landing the second seed in the Western Conference. But despite that step forward, they never quite carried the aura of true championship contenders, especially with Jalen Green leading them in scoring.
That reality became clear in the playoffs, when they were beaten by the more experienced Golden State Warriors. Since then, Houston answered with big moves, trading for Kevin Durant and signing Dorian Finney-Smith. Those upgrades have launched Houston into the early championship picture, but it is still fair to wonder if that picture is complete.
If the Rockets still need more, Durant’s former Phoenix Suns teammate Devin Booker stands out as a potential answer. While their time together in Arizona lacked playoff wins, a second chance in Houston could offer more. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has suggested a trade to make it happen.
Houston Rockets receive: Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns receive: Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams and a 2027 first-round pick (their own)
“Booker still looks like a hand-in-glove fit for Houston. He can share the floor with Durant and is a better timeline fit for the young core. And the Rockets are so stacked with assets, they could conceivably get Booker without decimating their collection. It’d be a pricey pickup, sure, but they’d still push forward with both Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün.
Phoenix, meanwhile, would ditch this idea of readjusting on the fly around Booker and instead get fully focused on its future. Sheppard, last year’s No. 3 pick, would be a pivotal piece of that plan, as would the versatile Eason (who could be swapped out for Jeff Green if Phoenix preferred more picks instead).”
