Thursday, Feb. 8 is the NBA’s in-season trade deadline for the 2023-24 campaign, and the Houston Rockets appear to be active on a number of fronts. In their pursuit of upgrades, one name who could be made available is veteran forward Jae’Sean Tate, according to Sam Amick, Shams Charania, and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Tate, 28, is a valuable defensive player at forward, but Houston could soon face something of a rotation crunch once Tari Eason returns from injury. Unlike early in the season, when both Eason and Tate had ample playing time, things are more challenging now given the recent emergence of rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson.
And Tate, who is in the second-to-last year of his current contract, would likely have more trade value at the moment than he would in the 2024 offseason — when only one season would be left.
The Athletic reports that Tate is currently receiving trade interest from the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns. While it’s unclear if either team would move the type of player that would upgrade Houston’s rotation, they could still offer some sort of future draft asset or young player, which Houston might then dangle in other talks.
Stay tuned!
Over four NBA seasons, Tate has averaged 9.9 points (49.6% FG, 30.5% on 3-pointers) and 4.8 rebounds in 25.1 minutes. He’s well regarded for his physical and versatile defense, as well as for his locker-room presence, which could help both contenders and rebuilding teams.
Jae’Sean Tate is attracting interest from the likes of the Celtics and Suns, league sources tell The Athletic.@ShamsCharania, @KellyIko and @sam_amick have the latest on the Rockets' plans ahead of the NBA trade deadline:https://t.co/1HlJFbVWwF pic.twitter.com/as31RrjBvb
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 31, 2024
