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Rockets predicted to swap Fred VanVleet for Mavericks' $118M NBA champion, 9-time All-Star
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- Rockets predicted to swap Fred VanVleet for Mavericks' $118M NBA champion, 9-time All-Star
Rockets predicted to swap Fred VanVleet for Mavericks' $118M NBA champion, 9-time All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Houston Rockets finished last season in disappointing fashion, getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers . Los Angeles was without Austin Reaves for multiple games and Luka Doncic for the entire series.
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This season, it is clear that Houston is on a mission to earn a legitimate shot at reaching the NBA Finals. Starting the year healthy has already shown what the Rockets are capable of.
"The Houston Rockets are 3-0, sitting atop the Western Conference standings, and looking like one of the most complete teams in basketball. This is exactly what Houston envisioned before Fred VanVleet went down with an injury last season. The Rockets had put together a roster they believed could compete for a championship, but injuries forced players into different roles and prevented the team from reaching its full potential," SI's Amir Motameni wrote.
If Houston believes it has a legitimate chance to win a championship, the team could pursue a blockbuster trade to strengthen its roster. CBS Sports' Sam Quinn believes the Rockets could trade Fred VanVleet for Kyrie Irving.
"Dallas in some sort of Irving swap is the obvious choice here, but VanVleet is about as flexible as point guards get. He can defend bigger players and doesn't need to hoard usage thanks to his 3-point shooting. Any team would be happy to have him as part of a bigger deal," Quinn wrote.
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Irving's future remains uncertain, but NBA insider Marc Spears believes the Mavericks could be willing to facilitate a trade if Irving requests one.
"Masai also has a really good relationship as you mentioned with Kyrie Irving. I think it's the kind of relationship where if Kyrie says, hey, Masai, like, this isn't for me, I think they could work together to get something done. I don't think would be something ugly. I think there would be interest in Kyrie if he's as healthy as he looks," Spears said.
If the Rockets have an opportunity to acquire Irving, they should seriously consider making the move. Irving and Kevin Durant came close to winning a championship together with the Brooklyn Nets , so reuniting the two could give them another chance to compete for a title.
Irving is currently in the final year of his $118 million contract with Dallas. Reuniting with Durant could also give him an incentive to remain in Houston beyond this season, potentially making the trade more appealing for the Rockets.
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