The first round of the trade + forward player? Average 10.7 rebounds and 2 hats per game! The Rockets take action

After several years of reconstruction, the Rockets' overall situation is "thriving". The new stars in the team have shown outstanding strength and are approaching the playoff threshold this season. With Shepard joining, they vow to sprint to the top six seats in the Western Conference next season.

Despite the overall improvement, the Rockets still face a problem to be solved: the weak inside defense. Shin Kyung and Langdale guarded the basket last season, but their defensive performance was mediocre. Although Adams is expected to return, he is not good at defense. In addition, his injury is not sure, so it is even more urgent to strengthen his inside defense. Therefore, it is imperative for the Rockets to introduce a defensive center this summer.

The US media FW also noticed the Rockets' demand, pointing out that the current market is scarce, and the Hornets may become a breakthrough in the trading. FW suggests that the Rockets actively communicate with the Hornets and consider using a protected first-round draft pick and frontcourt Tate as bargaining chip in exchange for Hornets' inside player Nick Richards. As a high-quality substitute center, Richards averaged 9.7 points, 8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in the regular season this season, showing efficient performance in a limited 26 minutes. After returning from injury, his data jumped to 12.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, perfectly interpreting the role of blue-collar.

Richards is talented, 213 cm tall and has an arm span of 220 cm. He is supplemented by his strong core strength and outstanding movement ability, making him an existence that cannot be ignored on the defensive end. If integrated into the Rockets lineup, it will complement the multi-level defensive system built by Smith, Ethan, Dillon, Amen and Shepard.

What is particularly important is that Richards has extremely low demand for ball rights, which effectively frees up the offensive space for defenders and forward players, which is of great benefit to the growth of young Rockets players. Its extremely cost-effective three-year, $15 million contract is even more worth the money. Once the Rockets successfully capture Richards, their inside shortcomings will be effectively compensated, laying a solid foundation for the leapfrog development next season. Especially considering the potential of Amen and Whitmore and the healthy return of Ethan, the Rockets' vision of returning to the playoff stage is increasingly promising.