Rockets chasing star new news: Brother Alphabet is the most exciting for them to bring in Durant Booker Zion has its own concerns

On May 12, Beijing time, according to the Rockets' Iko report, in the next few months, NBA stars such as the Bucks' Antetokounmpo, the Suns' Durant, and the Pelicans' Zion are all likely to enter the trade market, and the list may increase. Iko said that the most exciting target for the rocket was Brother Alphabet.

The possibility of acquiring these stars puts the Rockets at a crossroads. With draft picks and young players amassed in recent years, they have every chance of bringing in a real superstar to upgrade their roster. But will they choose to make a bold move (which could cost them a young star or even more chips), or will they be patient and resist the temptation to speed up the title race?

While Durant is widely considered to be the most likely player to be acquired by the Rockets, and he is known to be keen to play in Houston, team sources say the Rockets still have a lot of concerns about this potential deal, mainly because Durant's age of 36 doesn't match the team's youthful approach.It is worth mentioning that team sources revealed that the previous negotiations between the two teams about Durant were initiated by the Suns.

The Rockets were previously interested in the Suns' Devin Booker, but team sources say things are no longer the case. Not only does team management still have faith in Jalen Green, who is five years younger than Booker and has a salary of $66 million less than Booker over the next three seasons, butBooker's poor performance last season also changed the team's mind。 As for Zion, he has failed to live up to expectations for much of the first six seasons of his career and has been plagued by injuries, according to team sources.The Rockets decided it was too risky to bring him in.

This brings us to Brother Alphabet. Not long ago, Shams just reported that he was open to leaving the Bucks.

Of all the possible targets for this summer, the idea of the "Greek Monster" wearing a Rockets jersey is the most exciting within the team.Bringing him in would undoubtedly be very costly, and it may require multiple draft picks, a veteran to match the salary, and a young player or two. And since he is the best at being the main playmaker and attacking core, if he joins, it will also be a challenge to link up front with Shin Kyung (provided the latter is not traded). But not only is he recognized as one of the top three players in the league, but at 30 years old, he's still in his prime, and if he joins, the Rockets will have a longer championship window.

However, as Rockets general manager Stone made clear in his season-wrapping interview, the team has confidence in the current roster, even if it's not chasing stars. Amen Thompson, in particular, is seen as the cornerstone of the team and has great potential to play both offensively and defensively, and the quality he has shown so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Shin Kyung has made a major breakthrough this season, being selected as an All-Star for the first time, and is expected to go even further in the future. The Rockets also have high hopes for other players, including Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and No. 3 pick Reed Shepherd, who rarely played in last year's draft.

As for Jalen Green, he didn't play well against the Warriors, which many saw as a red flag for his future with the Rockets, but there was a very different perception within the team. In the Rockets' view, the Warriors opted to limit Green's offense with a bag and pressing defense, and his teammates should have used that more to attack. From that point of view, it's a common mistake for the whole team, and they will learn from it and grow together.

In the short term, the Rockets will need to address the issue of the departure and retention of two players who have played key roles in the playoffs: VanVleet postponed the deadline to decide whether to exercise the $44.9 million player option to June 30; Veteran center Steven Adams will be a free agent.

"We're in the business of 'people,'" Stone said, "and people are unpredictable." If we trade a player and think he's going to do the same with us as he did with the original team, that's not necessarily the case. We can only make the most reasonable choice. But our first plan has always been to develop the current squad and hopefully they can grow into a strong team.

"We've made progress in that area and I'm very happy with that."