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The Houston Rockets have gotten off to a hot start to their 2025-26 NBA season. They boast a 5-2 record through their first seven games. They currently boast the No. 1 offensive efficiency rating at 122.4. Houston’s defense has been awesome as well, ranking sixth in defensive efficiency at 110.1. But will it be enough to propel them to the championship heights they’re looking for? Maybe, but without a veteran point guard, it would be a lot harder to do so. Since losing Fred VanVleet, the Rockets have been relying on Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard as their floor generals. Thompson is a high-upside player. There’s no doubt he’ll be able to handle the full point guard load one of these years. Sheppard needs some more time to develop. The Rockets’ best bet to maintain their NBA Finals aspirations would be to get a true orchestrator. This will keep their offense humming. Rockets Trade Idea Lands Ja Morant In a trade idea first proposed by Arhaan Raje of Sportskeeda, the Houston Rockets could trade for disgruntled Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant. Houston Rockets receive: Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies receive: Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, Aaron Holiday, 2028 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick “The Rockets make the most sense for Ja Morant. They acquire Kevin Durant to resolve their offensive struggles, but they still need a point guard. They haven’t replaced starting point guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL after re-signing on a two-year $50 million deal and won’t play this season,” wrote Raje. “Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun’s presence can make life easier for Ja Morant, who may even see upticks in his 3-point shooting.” It would be quite a gut punch to trade the injured VanVleet. Considering how vital he was to the Rockets’ cultural turnaround. But using him in this trade is a necessity, and brings in an elite point guard to raise the floor of the team in 2025-26. Morant also slides in perfectly into Houston’s timeline of youngsters. At 26 years old, he can continue to develop alongside Alperen Sengun (23), Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. (22). What’s Going on With Ja Morant and the Grizzlies? Would the Memphis Grizzlies really ship out their franchise player? After seven years in Memphis, Morant may have worn out his welcome with the Grizzlies. Specifically, this season, there seems to be a rift between the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and his new coaching staff. Morant served a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team after head coach Tuomas Iisalo challenged his leadership and effort in a tough loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. The point guard reportedly did not respond well to being called out. In a more recent interview, Morant told reporters he’s lost his joy playing in Memphis. After trading Desmon Bane this past offseason, the Grizzlies may be headed towards a rebuild. Trading Morant may be the next step towards that tear-down. The haul they could get in this hypothetical trade would be a step in the right direction, landing a treasure trove of draft capital and culture changer in VanVleet.
