Translator's Note: The original article was published in Bleacher Report. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 2, local time), and the dates and times involved are local time.
After the introduction of former MVP Kevin Durant during the offseason, the Rockets are determined to compete for the championship. Unfortunately, veteran point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a knee injury during the offseason.
The Rockets hope that guest point guard Amen Thompson can fill this role, but the team's offense so far has been unstable. If the Rockets want to have the strength to compete for the championship, they may need to strengthen.
Meanwhile, the Celtics are in a transitional season as Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the entire season with an Achilles injury. They hope to get out of the luxury tax, and Derrick White's high-salary contract may become a trade chip.
With the Nets and their remaining cap space in mind, here's a three-way trade scenario that would address the Rockets' most pressing needs while also allowing the Celtics and Nets to receive young players or draft picks in return.
Complete trade plan
The Rockets receive:
Derek White (from Celtics)
Haywood Highsmith (from Nets)
$5 million trade exception (Reed Shepard)
Celtics receive:
Reed Shepard (from Rockets)
Jaylen Wilson (from Nets)
2029 2027 first-round pick (from Rockets)
$28.1 million trade exception (Derrick White)
Nets receive:
Fred VanVleet (from Rockets)
2027 first-round pick Round pick (from Rockets)
Note: The Nets received the lower two of the three first-round picks from the Suns, Rockets and Nets in 2027 (before the trade, the Rockets directly owned the swap rights with the Nets and the Suns' unprotected first-round pick). The Celtics receive the second-lowest of the three first-round picks in 2029 from the Mavericks, Suns, and Rockets (the Rockets currently own the two highest picks from these three teams).
The Rockets directly traded VanVleet for White, and Sheppard for Highsmith. The Celtics used their non-luxury tax mid-level exception to acquire Shepard and used a trade exception (from Jaden Springer) to acquire Wilson, which would trigger the salary cap ($195.9 million) brought by the first-rich line.
If the Nets waive Tyrese Martin or trade him to another team around the end of November, they will have enough salary space. That's still within the allowed $250,000 cushion, enough to eat into VanVleet's $25 million salary.
If White is traded on December 15, he will receive $12.4 million in trade guarantees from the Celtics, increasing his annual salary by $3.1 million. He could choose to give up the deposit - but why would he?
VanVleet and the Rockets modified his contract, which is equivalent to executing the option for the 2026-27 season, thus retaining his Bird clause with the Nets.
Why the Rockets did this
Due to limited options in the free agent market (the best option is Keon Ellis), the Rockets were in no hurry to find a replacement for VanVleet before the start of the season.
Amen Thompson is one of the most exciting young players in the NBA, but expecting him to serve as the Rockets' primary playmaker against a playoff-caliber defense is a bit too high. Kevin Durant and Alperon Shenkyung are very skilled, but a more experienced point guard like White could elevate the Rockets to the top.
White has championship experience, can play the first and second positions, has excellent shooting and solid defense. His contract is expensive, but the Rockets can still stay below the first-rich line this year, and can try to negotiate a contract with Tari Eason (restricted free agent) this summer to keep the team below the projected second-rich line.
The price paid was Sheppard - a highly regarded rookie who needs more playing time and a larger role to further develop - and two future first-round picks (the Rockets' second-highest picks in the 2027 and 2029 drafts, respectively).
Highsmith is out due to a knee injury (probably until mid-December). Once healthy, he will add another tall wing defender to the Rockets with playoff experience (previously playing for the Heat).
The starting lineup composed of Jabari Smith Jr., Durant, Shen Jing, Thompson and White will be one of the top starting lineups in the league.
Why the Celtics did this
Celtics fans have just begun to accept the reality that the team is "soft and rotten". Tatum's injuries and the realities and financial pressures brought about by huge recurring luxury tax penalties led to the team trading away core championship players like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Even after clearing their huge salary, the Celtics are still about $12 million above the luxury tax line. The league's duplication luxury tax has doubled, with teams paying $2 for every dollar over the limit. In a season with a poor record and no clear playoff goal, now would be an ideal time to drop below the luxury tax line.
White is 31 years old. The Celtics can use this opportunity to rejuvenate the guard position. Sheppard is one of the highest-rated rookies in the 2024 NBA.com general manager survey. The Celtics can let him learn while playing, but the Rockets, who are aiming to compete for the championship, cannot provide such conditions.
The Celtics also received Wilson from the Nets and a first-round pick from the Rockets. The team's payroll dropped from approximately $200 million to $184.7 million, resulting in a tax reduction of approximately $39.5 million. Teams below the luxury tax line will also receive a dividend from the league, and the Celtics are expected to receive $12 million. The Celtics also received an important trade exception that will help reshape the roster next offseason.
Why the Nets do this
The Nets are the only team to use salary space to help other teams this summer (for a fee, of course). The Grizzlies and Bucks fell below the luxury tax line by trading with the Nets, thereby completing the contracts of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Myles Turner respectively. The Nets profited by helping other teams offload their contracts (Terrence Mann, Michael Porter Jr., Kobe Bufkin and Highsmith), mostly in exchange for draft picks.
This trend continues. At the same time, the Nets took over VanVleet's contract from the Rockets and received a first-round pick as compensation. The Nets asked for a first-round pick because VanVleet's contract still has a second year, which will limit the team's salary space in the 2026-27 season, so compensation is needed.
Once VanVleet is healthy, the team can use him to serve as a mentor to rookie point guards such as Yegor Jemin and Nolan Traore, or the Nets can later trade him to a playoff team looking for a leader. The key to this deal was using cap flexibility to get that first-round pick.
Author: Eric Pincus
Translator: GWayNe