NBA 2018/19: 3 players Houston Rockets need to trade away
After making a disastrous start to the NBA season, the Houston Rockets are currently 14th in the Western Conference standings. It is quite the decline for a franchise that last season topped the division and came within one game of the NBA Finals.
The team recently instructed Carmelo Anthony to find a new team, although there are a number of other players that could also be on their way out. So here are three Rockets players that are likely to be traded away over the next few months.
#3 Gerald Green
After signing with the Rockets in December of last season, Gerald Green was a useful asset from the bench. During the second half of the 17/18 season, the 32-year-old played 41 times, averaging 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 22.7 minutes of action.
Despite the Rockets having a depleted roster this season, Green's minutes have been drastically reduced, and he is not offering the same impact from the bench. He is averaging just 6.8 points-per-game, and if the Rockets are not going to give him a decent amount of minutes in the rotation, the organization should look to trade him away.
#2 Michael Carter-Williams
Michael Carter-Williams was signed by the Rockets during the first few days of the 2018 free agency. The 27-year-old was coming off a difficult couple of seasons, although the Rockets believed that the player could develop under coach Mike D'Antoni.
Things, however, haven't quite worked out as planned for the 2014 Rookie of the Year, and he is currently having the worst season of his career. The point-guard is playing a career-low 9.8 minutes-per-game and is contributing just 3.4 points and 1.3 assists each game. It doesn't look as though the player has any future in Houston, so all signs point to a trade in the new year.
#1 James Ennis III
Unlike the other players on this list, James Ennis III is not having a bad season. In fact, Ennis has been among the Rockets' best performers during the early stages of the season. The 28-year-old has so far shot .391 from behind from behind the arc, in addition to contributing 8.8 points per game.
Despite this, Ennis is arguably the Rockets' most valuable asset that the team would be willing to trade, and the forward could be used if the team pursue a deal to get Trevor Ariza back from the Phoenix Suns.
It is no secret that the Houston team has missed Ariza badly since his summer departure, and the 33-year-old offers more than Ennis on both ends of the court. The Phoenix Suns will want a similar player back for Ariza in any potential trade, so it looks as though Ennis may soon be sacrificed as the Rocket looks to revert back to last year's starting 5.