The NBA trade deadline is breathing down everyone's neck. It's January 16, 2026, and if you’re a Rockets fan, your Twitter feed is probably a disaster zone of hypothetical jersey swaps and "insider" rumblings. Honestly? It's chaos. People are freaking out because the Rockets just hit a wall, losing five of their last seven games. That 111-91 beatdown by the Thunder yesterday was ugly.
But here is the thing about houston rockets trade news today: despite the slump and the glaring lack of a traditional point guard, Rafael Stone isn't throwing a Hail Mary. Not yet.
The Ja Morant and Darius Garland Rumors are Basically Dead
You’ve seen the headlines. Ja Morant is unhappy in Memphis. Darius Garland is supposedly the "missing piece" to pair with Kevin Durant. It sounds great on paper, right? A dynamic, elite floor general to settle the offense while KD does KD things.
Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports dropped a bit of a reality check today. The Rockets have apparently checked in with nearly half the league—standard GM stuff—but they aren't biting on Ja. The baggage and the price tag are just too high. As for Garland, that $231 million contract is a massive pill to swallow when you’ve already got Durant’s $54 million on the books.
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Houston is sixth in the West. That’s not bad for a team that completely shifted its identity over the summer by trading Jalen Green to Phoenix for Durant.
Why the Rockets are Sticking with the Committee
Ime Udoka is stubborn. I mean that in the best way possible. He’s leaning into this "point-guard-by-committee" approach because, frankly, he doesn't have a choice. Fred VanVleet is still sidelined after that brutal preseason ACL injury.
Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are carrying the playmaking load. It’s a weird, fun, occasionally frustrating experiment.
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- Amen Thompson is basically a 6'7" blur. He's averaging 18.8 points and over 5 assists.
- Alperen Sengun is the "Turkish Jokic" for a reason. 21.7 PPG and nearly 7 assists.
- Kevin Durant is just... Kevin Durant. 26.1 points per game. He's 37 and still looks like the best player on the floor most nights.
The problem isn't talent. It's the "sweet spots." Opponents have figured out that if they press Houston at half-court, the turnovers start piling up. We’re talking 28th in the league in turnover percentage. That is how you lose to the Blazers and Kings in the same week.
Will They Actually Move Alperen Sengun?
There was a wild rumor floating around from Fadeaway World about a Giannis Antetokounmpo package involving Sengun. Stop. Just stop.
The Rockets view Alpi as a cornerstone. Trading a 23-year-old who is putting up All-NBA numbers for a 31-year-old Giannis sounds like a "win-now" dream, but it would gut the soul of this team. Sengun was devastated when Jalen Green was traded—he called him a brother. Tearing another hole in that locker room chemistry right now could be catastrophic.
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The Real Trade Targets: Small Moves, Not Blockbusters
If houston rockets trade news today results in an actual deal before the February 5 deadline, expect it to be boring. Seriously. We’re talking about "fort-holder" guards.
The name Jose Alvarado has been floated. Maybe a Cam Spencer. Someone who can just bring the ball up, not turn it over, and play pesky defense for 15 minutes a night. The front office believes this roster can win a title in the next two years once VanVleet is back. They aren't looking to sell the farm for a rental.
Current Tradeable Assets:
- Dorian Finney-Smith: His $12.7M salary is the perfect "filler" for a mid-tier move.
- Tari Eason: Teams want him. Houston loves him. It would take a massive overpay to move the "Chaos King."
- Clint Capela: He’s barely playing (11 minutes a game). If someone needs a backup big, he’s the most likely to be packed in a box.
What You Should Watch For Next
The Rockets have seven of their next eleven games at the Toyota Center. This stretch is everything. If they keep sliding toward the play-in tournament, Rafael Stone might feel the heat to do something drastic. But if they stabilize? They’ll sit on their hands and wait for the buyout market.
Don't buy into every "KD wants a playmaker" tweet you see. Durant re-signed for a reason. He likes the young core of Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. He likes the challenge.
Keep an eye on the turnover numbers in the next three games. If Houston can't get that under control, the pressure to trade for a "boring" veteran point guard will become deafening. Watch the waiver wire for names like Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul if their current situations sour—though both are long shots, they represent the type of low-risk move Houston actually prefers. Stay patient; the blockbuster already happened last summer. Now, it's about fine-tuning the engine.