The Rockets are planning a deal in secret, are the new three giants coming soon?

The Houston Rockets' recent actions have caused frequent shocks in the league. According to people familiar with the matter, the team's management has quietly launched the core link of the reconstruction plan and formed a new three-tier team with superstars as the core through exquisite operations. If this plan is successfully implemented, it will not only rekindle the hope of winning the championship for many years in the Aerospace City, but it will also be possible to completely change the competitive landscape in the West.

The team operation has hidden secrets. Every move of the Rockets in the free agent market has been carefully calculated. At present, their most critical chip is the Suns' ninth pick in the first round of 2024. This seemingly ordinary draft pick actually has hidden value, because in the current draft year, holding a high pick means that it can accurately lock in potential new stars.

What's more subtle is that the Rockets management cleverly linked Van Vreet's renewal issue to the draft results. This strategy not only bought itself time to fully evaluate the players, but also retained sufficient bargaining for subsequent trade negotiations. The two top stars have become the ultimate goal. In the free agent market, the Rockets will focus their main firepower on the two superstars. rumor about Kevin Durant's deal has long been rampant, and the 35-year-old veteran has not yet made a decision on whether to implement the $39.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season. It is worth noting that the Suns' record has continued to be sluggish in recent years (the winning rate this season is only 48.3%), which is in sharp contrast with the Rockets' 61.1% winning rate. This contrast exactly constitutes the biggest basis for the transaction between the two sides.

The other side of the franchise is also confusing. Although Greek superstars' preference for big city teams poses an obstacle, the Rockets' Jaylen Green + future draft pick combination is still quite attractive, and the Youth Legion has built a solid foundation.

In this superstar battle, the Rockets did not bet on the introduction of combat power. In fact, the Youth Legion with Amen Thompson and Alperen Shinkin as the core has shown amazing combat power. Amen Thompson, who averaged 21.3 points per game last season, ranked among the top ten in the league in terms of ball-holding efficiency, and became an iron gate on the outside line; and Shin Kyung's growth trajectory was even more amazing, with his real shooting percentage soaring from 53.2% in the first year of his career to 62.3% this season, and has transformed into the league's top space-type inside. The existence of these two young men has prevented the Rockets from falling into the dilemma of "demolting the east wall and filling the west wall" when pursuing superstars, and tactical changes have given birth to a new pattern. As expectations for superstar joining heat up, the Rockets' tactical system is undergoing disruptive adjustments. The most imaginative one is the experimental concept of "five small lineups": a fast offensive and defensive system consisting of a mobile player such as Shen Jing is in the penalty area and is accompanied by mobile players such as Green, Jaylen Johnson, and Tucker. Data shows that when the Rockets use a similar lineup, the average three-point shooting average can reach more than 45%. This ultimate space utilization ability is enough to make any opponent frightened.

Of course, if you finally choose to retain Shen Jing and the new player to partner with the two towers, the team also needs to face the pain of the tactical running-in period. After all, the tactical inertia left by the Harden era still needs to be gradually eliminated, and risk control faces double tests. There are two fatal hidden dangers behind this gamble.

·First of all, there is a worrying problem of age fault. Currently, the average age of the Rockets' core rotation is only 23.8 years old, which is only higher than that of the Mavericks and the Timberwolves in the league. Although such a young lineup is full of vitality, its experience shortcomings in high-intensity confrontations in the playoffs may be infinitely magnified.

·The second is the chemical reaction variable that is difficult to predict. Historical data shows that when a team undergoes a large-scale lineup reorganization, it usually takes 23-35 games between players to form a tacit understanding, and fluctuations in the performance during this running-in period are almost inevitable.

In this reconstruction drama full of variables, the Rockets are rushing to the gears of fate with an almost desperate attitude. Whether the final result is to create a new dynasty cornerstone or become a footnote to the failure of a gamble, this team that will always dare to break through the rules has re-established the center stage of the basketball world. In the countdown of the transaction deadline, every decision will affect the nerves of the entire alliance, and we may soon witness what attitude the space fortress of the new era will stand proudly in the clouds.