The Houston Rockets are still once piece away from being championship contenders. While the combo of Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza and James Harden is nice, it is not enough to get all the way through the Western Conference. The issue is figuring out exactly how to acquire one more star considering those three players take up a majority of the team's salary cap space leaving the Rockets with $6 million to work with in the offseason. If Houston is going to get any better, a trade is the only option.
According to Bleacher Report, the Rockets would be wise to target LaMarcus Aldridge. The power forward is expected to head out of Portland this offseason and as a Texas native, the Rockets could be in play. If Houston were to be serious contenders for Aldridge, a sign-and-trade could be the best option. NBA analysts suggest a deal involving Trevor Ariza to bring in a third star. Ariza is good, but Aldridge would create the Big 3 that the Rockets really need to move forward. Harden may have wanted continuity with the roster, but Aldridge would be a big upgrade for the Rockets.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets plan on trying to re-sign both Josh Smith and Corey Brewer. Both players improved their value over the past season and will be expecting pay raises as a result. That means that in order to make any other type of roster improvements, a trade is mandatory. The Rockets will simply not be able to afford anything else. It is unclear exactly how much money someone like Smith can command. He had a four-year, $54 million deal in Detroit before getting released and finishing the season on just a $2 million salary.
All of this will factor in to what the Rockets do at the point guard position. Patrick Beverley is expected to leave as he will accept a bigger contract that the Rockets can technically offer. Houston could try and convince Rajon Rondo to sign on a short-term contract like Jimmy Butler is targeting. They could also aim for trades with Ty Lawson or Eric Bledsoe who is reportedly available according to Chard Ford of ESPN.
The Rockets have made things difficult for themselves this offseason. They do not have a lot of cap space and yet still need another stay to help get through teams like Golden State and a healthy Oklahoma City. A trade is the only option.