Spoiler! The Rockets' 7-1 pick allows the Lakers to reap the benefits of the fisherman, and the Big Three are really coming

Soar freely

2024-06-30 19:48Creators in the field of sports

In the regular season, the Rockets had a defensive efficiency of 112.8, second only to nine teams including the Timberwolves, Celtics, and Magic. In addition, the league, with an average age of 25.1, tied with the Jazz and Hornets for the eighth youngest in the league.

In a way, rockets are a replica of magic.

In addition, the Magic have a defensive efficiency of 110.8, second only to the Timberwolves and Celtics. The average age of the squad is 24.0 years.

In the case of the Magic, for example, after building the basic framework of the team, it is necessary to have an experienced and leading player. To put it bluntly, the rise is only one last step away.

From this perspective, it's not hard to see why the Rockets are chasing stars.

According to HoopsHype, Durant, Butler, Bridges, Ingram, Da Lopez, Smart and Paul George are seven targets that the Rockets are closely watching.

What are the chips for the rockets?

First of all, the Rockets have this year's probe lottery. Admittedly, this year is a small year for the draft, but there is still trade value.

Secondly, in the Harden trade, the Rockets have the Nets' 24 and 26 first-rounders, 27 and 29 swap rights, as well as their own 28 and 30 first-round picks and a large number of second-rounders.

In addition, the team options for Jeff Green (8 million) and Tate (7.57 million), as well as Landale's 8 million non-guaranteed contract, are good trade chips.

How attractive is the rocket?

Admittedly, the Rockets are not a team with championship ability like the Nuggets and Celtics, but they are still attractive to players like Ingram and Paul George who want to get the highest salary. At the end of the day, not all players play for championships.

In George's case, once he chooses to join the Rockets. This will inevitably lead to a significant reduction in the Clippers' ability to play — in the regular season, the Clippers have a net efficiency of 9.1 when George is on the floor, which is the first on the team, and when they are not on the floor, they are still the first on the team at -6.1.

This situation is undoubtedly good for the Lakers - there is one less competitor on the way to the championship.

In addition, taking the Suns, Heat, and Pelicans as examples, once Durant, Butler, or Ingram leave, there will inevitably be a roster reshuffle. In this regard, the Lakers are very likely to trade for strength and even stars.

Let's take the Dejounte Murray deal as an example.

In the '22 offseason, the Hawks traded Gallinari and one of the three first-round picks from the Spurs for Murray. That said, trading All-Star-caliber players is at least three first-rounders.

This summer, after the draft, the Lakers will be able to pick in the first round in '24, '29, '31. In addition, there are players such as Reeves and Hachimura. Clearly, the Lakers have the leverage to trade stars.

It is worth mentioning that the Lakers are more attractive than the Rockets. On the one hand, the Lakers have the possibility of winning the championship; On the other hand, the Lakers' high exposure brings an increase in commercial value.

To sum up, after the Rockets cast a wide net and chose 1 out of 7, the Lakers are taking advantage of the fisherman, considering that they already have the bargaining chips to trade stars, it seems that the Big Three are really coming.

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