Houston is exploring the trade market in search of a potential backcourt upgrade, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who hears from sources that the Rockets have looked into what sort of return they could get for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round draft capital.
A veteran three-and-D wing who signed with Houston last summer, Finney-Smith missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left ankle surgery. Since making his debut on Christmas Day, the 32-year-old has played a very limited role, logging between 13 and 18 minutes in each of his first 12 outings.
Finney-Smith has averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per night so far as a Rocket, and he’s earning $12.7MM this season, with a guaranteed $13.3MM salary for 2026/27 — he’s under contract through 2028/29, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed.
As a result, Finney-Smith’s value on the trade market will likely be pretty limited, though it’s worth noting that his overall impact isn’t always reflected by his counting stats. While it’s a small sample, Houston has a +9.5 net rating and a 102.1 defensive rating during his 186 minutes on the court.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Grizzlies are among the guards whom league personnel have identified as possible trade targets for Houston, per ClutchPoints. Siegel also mentions Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as potential players of interest for the Rockets, though it would take more than Finney-Smith and second-round picks to acquire either one.
The Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they want to move Pippen, Siegel acknowledges. Additionally, any deal involving Pippen and Finney-Smith would require more outgoing salary from Memphis’ side, since the Grizzlies guard is earning just $2.3MM.
Alvarado, meanwhile, is considered the Pelican who is most likely to be dealt and has generated interest from multiple teams, including the Knicks and Pistons, Siegel writes. Atlanta and Indiana were also linked to Alvarado earlier this season.
Like Pippen, Alvarado has a relatively small cap hit ($4.5MM), so unless more pieces are added, a deal sending Finney-Smith to New Orleans wouldn’t be practical for the Pelicans, who are operating just $2MM below the luxury tax line. They don’t want to surpass that threshold or take back long-term money in a trade, per Siegel.
As the Rockets consider their options on the trade market, they’re not looking to trade veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and they’re also unlikely to make a move that would reduce Reed Sheppard‘s role, Siegel adds.
Wow a rare good move by Pelinka letting him get a bad contract
How about this?
Rockets get Monk and Ellis
Kings get Finney Smith, Capela and picks
filler if needed
Rockets can move Thompson to front court
all depends on the picks.
Jose Alvarado and Coby White are likely 2 month rental
How do those non guaranteed years work? Is it like the equivalent of a team option?
I can tell you that the Nets would probably consider taking him back if just for next szn for Cam Thomas and unswapping their ‘27 picks.
Not a horrible idea
2027/28: His $13.3MM salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29, 2027.
2028/29: He actually holds a player option and could choose to opt out. If he opts in, his $13.3MM salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29, 2028.
Thanks. Then I think the Nets are a real possibility to be involved in a DFS deal.
They’re not looking to trade Fred VanVleet because they CAN’T. No contender is trading for an injured player, and he’s not approving a trade to a tanking team.
FVV does not have a no trade clause, just a player option for next season at $25M. I like him as a pg but I think Houston should move him if possible. The window with Durant will not be open much longer. FVV and DFS for Ja Morant.
I think HOU will take less to move FVV’s $ and gives them a lot more to play with next summer. It’s a matter of finding a team who can take that much dead money this year… enter the Nets, again.
It’s not clear that Houston is ready to move on tho. I think they will be happy to move that DFS deal and take a chance that FVV returns next szn.
1st, I think MEM holds onto Morant. But if they did trade him, don’t you think they would look to get much more than that?
They want off his long expensive contract.
I mean MEM has been saying they don’t think they HAVE to trade him. Not sure if they’re trying to keep bargaining power or being truthful. I’d say they’re being honest, no reason to just give him away for nothing. MEM doesn’t spend in free agency and they’ve signed most of their extension eligible core players already, so opening cap space isn’t as useful for them as it is for big market teams. All that coming from someone who has been wanting them to move him for a few years.
VanVleet does indeed have an Implicit No-Trade clause.
He loses it the moment he picks up the Player Option. He would have been traded already if that weren’t the case.
Anyone talking about FVV trades hasn’t done the requisite research and is just spitballing.
But wouldn’t his expiring contract actually be a plus for say Memphis? Also definitely spitballing. I’ll leave the research to you bean counters.
I know I don’t have a full understanding of how their contracts work.
But I believe people are saying that FVV has an implied no trade clause because he could opt out of his contract.
I don’t see that happening.
If he opts out of the 2nd year of that deal, I don’t see anyway that he gets a 25 million dollar deal coming off of a season missed due to injury.
Choosing to be ignorant isn’t the flex you think it is.
From Reddit: Fred VanVleet has an implied no-trade clause, because he’s on a two-year deal with a player option for the 2026-27 season and he’ll have Bird rights if he opts out. VanVleet did not waive that NTC when he re-signed with Houston this offseason.
Contract crunching is great if you are into that kind of thing, but I’m really more interested in how players fit together on teams. The CBA and accounting are not that interesting to me, personally. If it floats your boat, great.
Contract for DFS isn’t AS bad since only the first two years are guaranteed, but when Pippen is healthy he is on a bargain contract. Can’t see it only taking one 2nd to get him even if the other player from MEM is probably Clarke. I’d still prefer Pippen + Clarke over DFS, min contract, and a 2nd.
MEM probably does it for either of the two below that involve Jerome:
Jerome & Konchar for 2nd, DFS, & min contract (Tate, Green, Okogie or Holiday).
Jerome for a 2nd & DFS. MEM could add Vince Williams for a better 2nd like 2029 SAC or 2027 MEM if they are thinking of making bigger changes before the TD.
Jrue Holiday if you want a championship maybe
I also have never really had the time or energy to study the contract sides of things.
When something like this one catches my attention I usually ask for an explanation that a layman like me can grasp.
Even the teams don’t expect all of their employees to be contract and CBA experts.