With the worst record in the Western Conference and a clear rebuilding emphasis, few things are completely off the table leading up to the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline for the Houston Rockets.
However, one of those non-starters for general manager Rafael Stone appears to be a potential trade of second-year forward Jae’Sean Tate. The Rockets entered Monday with wins in two of their last three games, including Sunday in Sacramento, and Tate averaged 13.3 points (72.0% FG), 6.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game in that stretch — along with providing strong value in defending the opponent’s top players.
In his latest column, ESPN’s Zach Lowe writes:
I love Tate. He’s a turbocharged cinder block with the strength to jostle against centers on defense and the speed to chase guards. If Tate is barreling at you, get the hell out of his way.
He’s a good pick-and-roll screener — clever passing on the move, with a mashing post game against smaller guys on switches.
He’s probably best right now as a small-ball center, and the Rockets should use him in that style more often given (Christian) Wood’s shooting ability. …
The Rockets do and should view Tate as a keeper.
Tate averages 12.5 points (50.5% FG), 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 27.4 minutes per game, and he remains one of Houston’s most valuable and versatile defensive players. Now 26 years old, the 6-foot-4 forward has shown an increased penchant for playmaking in his second NBA season, and further growth shouldn’t be ruled out.
Given his two-way production, it makes sense that playoff teams would show interest in Tate. Yet, from the perspective of Stone and the Rockets, he’s still young enough to be a core piece of their rebuild, as well.
The only argument in favor of exploring a Tate trade would seem to be the uncertainty of his next contract, since he can become a free agent in the 2023 offseason. However, those future negotiations are almost certainly too far away for the Rockets to make a speculative bet in February 2022 involving one of their most productive players.
Expect Stone and the Rockets to stay the course with Tate for the time being, with financial talks set aside for another day down the road.
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