Rockets are in a trading dilemma! 5 for 1 to chase Brown or Durant? The three teams compete for KD in a white-hot manner

Text/Deep Basketball Trading Observation‌

The finals are in full swing, but the Houston Rockets' management office is undercurrent. General Manager Stone's phone number was blown up by executives of various teams - the Rockets, who held the Suns in 2025, 2027 and 2029, became the eye of the storm in the trading market. The latest news from famous reporter Shams: The Durant transaction may be finalized within a few days. Among the bidding for six to eight teams, the Rockets, Heat and Timberwolves have entered the final negotiation circle. A plan to 5 for 1 for Jaylen Brown has caused heated controversy among fans...

Durant battle: Rockets' bargaining chips and concerns ‌

The Suns' favor for the Rockets comes from the obsession with "first round reflow" - only by taking back their own draft picks can they be rebuilt with peace of mind. Uduka’s personal relationship with Durant (who once worked with the US men’s basketball team) is a potential plus. KD’s top firepower with 26.6 points + 43% three-point shooting percentage this season can cure the Rockets’ stubborn problem of scoring drought in the last quarter. But the management is like a thorn in the throat:

Age risk: 37-year-old Durant's Achilles tendon and ankle injury history is superimposed, so attendance is difficult to guarantee;

Contract shackles: 160 million yuan in the remaining three years may lock in salary flexibility;

chip game: The Suns are not interested in Jaylen Green and ask for more draft picks, while the Rockets refuse to be the sucker.

Currently, among Durant's next odds, the Rockets fell to fourth, with the Timberwolves, Heat and Spurs leading the way.

Brown's trading plan: a double-edged sword for younger age ‌

When the US media FW launched the plan of "Rockets 5 for 1 Brown", Houston fans split into two factions:

Supporting party: Brown is at his peak at the age of 28, and still scores 22.1 points and 7.1 rebounds with injuries in the playoffs. His strong breakthrough is perfectly adapted to the Uduka system; giving Green (only 13.3 points in the playoffs + 31.3% hit rate) + Smith Jr. (fall out of rotation) can be called a stop loss;

Opponent party: Brown's 286 million super maximum salary in four years (average salary exceeds 70 million) may become a new garbage contract, and his attendance rate is only 68%, and the risk of recurrence of old knee injuries is as high as 40%.

What is more subtle is the Celtics' motive - Tatum's Achilles tendon tear and the 238 million luxury tax pressure, forcing Boston to sell off the second in command to reduce the burden.

Tactical analyst Max commented:

"Using Green + Smith + No. 10 for Brown is like using three lottery tickets to redeem an expired winning number - if you win the present, you may lose all the future."

Three teams secretly fight Durant: chip comparison ‌

Team‌ core quotes Sun demand matching degree

Rockets‌Suns three first round picks + young players ★★★★★ ★ (Get back the draft pick)

Heat ‌Rozier + Dunro + two first rounds ★★☆ (i.e. insufficient combat power)

Timberwolves‌Reed (sign first and then exchange) + Divin + two second round picks ★★★ (tax avoidance but low returns)

The Suns are most inclined to the Rockets' plan, but Stone insists on "not adding to the target" - if the opponent asks Shepard or more first rounds, the Rockets will turn to Brown.

Houston's ultimate choice‌

Rockets stand at the intersection:

bet on Durant: to form the three giants Durant + Shenjing + Amen Thompson, but they have to bear the risks of aging and injury;

exchange for Brown: Uduka is willing to take action, but the salary bomb may detonate in 2028;

hold on: retain the six young masters + draft picks, and wait for the free market to fish Antetokounmpo or Doncic in 2026.

The team news revealed: "The management determined that Durant's asking price was inflated and that Brown's contract was too poisonous. Unless the price was reduced, he would rather wait and see." ‌

The historical alarm bell kept ringing‌

In 2013, the Nets overdrafted in the future to replace Garnett/Pearce, and ranked at the bottom in five years;

In 2023, Suns Soha Durant, there is no way out after being eliminated in the second round;

The phone in Stone's hand is like a time bomb -

Press the trading button to win the championship, or it may bury the Rockets' next decade with his own hands. ‌