NBA Rumors: Andre Iguodala Trade Could Put Rockets On Same Level As Clippers And Lakers, Per ‘The Ringer’

Since being dumped by the Golden State Warriors, rumors have been continuously swirling around Andre Iguodala and his future with the Memphis Grizzlies. Iguodala may be an official member of the Grizzlies right now but he is yet to play a game in the 2019-20 NBA season and is highly expected to be moved before the 2020 February trade deadline. One of the teams who is currently being linked to Iguodala is the Houston Rockets.

In his recent article, Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer listed the Rockets as one of the title contenders in the 2019-20 NBA season that needs Iguodala. Uggetti believes that the successful acquisition of Iguodala would put the Rockets on the same level as other Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

“Iguodala might spend most of his Houston nights dreaming of the good ol’ days next to Steph more likely than not, but it’s evident he could boost this Rockets’ team chances and put them in the same tier as the Clippers and Lakers (if they’re not already there). Narratives aside, Houston will gladly take a title even if it means having Iguodala help it get there.”

The Rockets, led by James Harden and Russell Westbrook, are currently doing well in the 2019-20 NBA season. As of now, the Rockets have won six of their last 10 games, sitting in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with a 17-8 record. However, despite Harden and Westbrook’s explosive performance almost every night, the Rockets aren’t still the top favorite to fully dominate the Western Conference this season.

If they want to have a better chance of beating the Clippers and the Lakers in a best-of-seven series, the Rockets should continue to find ways to address the issues on their roster before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. Though he’s no longer in his prime, trading for Iguodala makes a lot of sense for the Rockets. Iguodala would immediately solve the Rockets’ problem in the wing.

Aside from being a reliable threat in the three-point range, Iguodala would give the Rockets a lockdown defender who could be tasked to guard the likes of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Though they threw away an enormous amount of trade assets to acquire Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder, The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor believes that the Rockets still have the “ammo” to engage in a deal with the Grizzlies involving Iguodala.

As O’Connor noted, the Rockets could explore a trade package centered on their own first-round pick in 2020 or 2022. Giving away a future first-round pick for an aging All-Star who could only be a one-year rental would undeniably be a tough decision for the Rockets, but it would definitely be worth it if it could help them bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Houston this season.