With Indiana listing a high asking price on the trade market for big man Myles Turner, who also happens to be hurt at the moment, one potential beneficiary could be the Houston Rockets and Daniel Theis.
Per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the high price for Turner has led at least four NBA teams to inquire about the physical big man as the Feb. 10 trade deadline approaches. In Thursday’s story, Fischer writes:
Another Houston veteran drawing significant interest of late has been center Daniel Theis. The high price for Myles Turner has led several teams including Boston, Charlotte, Milwaukee and Toronto to inquire about the Rockets big man.
Theis is on a relatively modest salary of below $9 million per season on average, so it should be relatively easy for most teams above the salary cap to find sufficient matching salaries for trade purposes. The 29-year-old, who averages 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game, is well regarded for his interior defense and leadership.
Latest intel from around the league, where the actual midseason trade market has seemed to center around Atlanta, Portland, Sacramento and Indiana. Plus tidbits on the Pelicans, Raptors, Celtics and more, all at @BR_NBA: https://t.co/ZtNaoVCizV
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 27, 2022
The Rockets probably can’t command a significant return for Theis, since he’s currently out of the team’s rotation due to the presence of Christian Wood and the emergence of rookie center Alperen Sengun.
Nonetheless, if the rebuilding Rockets can recoup a second-round draft pick — at the moment, they don’t have any in 2022 or 2023 — for a veteran who isn’t playing, it makes sense for general manager Rafael Stone to do that. The open roster spot could then be used to sign and evaluate a younger player who might fit better with Houston’s timeline.
