Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 27

Rockets Skip Jaylen Brown Talks, Target Marcus Smart if He Declines $5.4 Million Option

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 27

Rockets Skip Jaylen Brown Talks, Target Marcus Smart if He Declines $5.4 Million Option

Q: Will the Rockets sacrifice their young All-Star for a chance to reunite Jaylen Brown with coach Ime Udoka?

Not right now, but it remains a realistic possibility. The strongest reporting says Houston is not currently in active trade talks with Boston for Jaylen Brown. That matters more than the speculation. At the same time, league insiders have not ruled out the Rockets joining those talks later, and the logic is clear: Ime Udoka has a strong history with Brown from Boston, Houston has shown it will make bold win-now moves after landing Kevin Durant, and the Celtics are known to like Alperen Şengün. If Houston does pursue Brown seriously, Şengün would likely be central to the package. Boston’s financial pressure around Brown’s supermax and Jayson Tatum’s deal gives the Celtics a reason to listen, and Houston has the draft capital to make an offer credible. Multiple reports also suggest Amen Thompson is the one Rocket viewed as truly untouchable, which increases the chance that Şengün could be the young star put on the table if talks advance. Still, there are reasons for caution. Şengün is 23, a two-time All-Star, under team control, and already one of Houston’s offensive engines. Moving him for Brown, who is older and owed nearly $182 million over the next three seasons, would be a major bet on a shorter title window. Some reporting also says a Şengün deal currently “doesn’t have any legs.” So the answer is that Houston has not decided to sacrifice Şengün, but if Brown becomes truly available, the Rockets are one of the teams most plausibly positioned to consider it.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 27

League sources say Houston has had no recent discussions with Boston about Jaylen Brown, despite the Celtics actively shopping the five-time All-Star.
Marcus Smart has emerged as the more realistic Rockets target, with Houston expected to pursue him if he declines his $5.4 million player option with the Lakers before Monday's deadline.
Smart averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.5 minutes for Los Angeles, and his strongest season came under Ime Udoka in 2021-22, when he won Defensive Player of the Year.
Brown still cannot be fully ruled out because of Udoka's Boston ties and the Celtics' known interest in Alperen Sengun, but any deal would likely require Houston to part with the two-time All-Star.
The Rockets' search for backcourt help follows a season in which they regressed after adding Kevin Durant and were knocked out in the first round by an injury-hit Lakers team.