The Houston Rockets have faced a major setback. Fred VanVleet has suffered an ACL injury and been sidelined for the season. The veteran has been a key leader and playmaker for Houston’s young core, and now the team’s backcourt depth is a big concern. With VanVleet out, the Rockets’ options are extremely limited. Their cap situation and roster constraints make signing a free agent difficult, and while the team has young talent, the lack of a proven contributor at the point guard spot is going to cause instability. However, one trade proposal gives them some relief.

Zach Lowe floated a scenario on the Bill Simmons Podcast involving the Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves. “What if things just go very badly this season for Austin Reaves with the Lakers? … You asked me to come off the bench, extension talks … couldn’t really get started … But I’m not sure, like, do you really value me enough in a Luka world?” Lowe framed a highly conditional situation, highlighting the uncertainties that exist in player-team dynamics and how volatile big-market rosters can be.

However, Lowe was quick to clarify that this scenario is far from likely. “No, no, no, I’m not saying that. The Lakers love Austin Reaves. Austin Reaves loves being a Laker. … But we’ve seen more hunky-dory situations go awry before in big markets.” While Reaves has remained loyal to the Lakers and is integral to the team’s current plans, Lowe’s hypothetical shows that, given the right circumstances, a solution might be possible.

Bill Simmons also chimed in on how Reaves could fit for the Rockets, saying, “So, you’re running some offense through him, not as a point guard, but… almost like how you use [Tyler] Herro.” He also cheekily suggested that Lowe might have some more insight on Reaves’ availability, saying “Feels like you have some some thoughts on maybe Austin Reeves might be more available this season than we’ve heard.” Although the trade is unlikely, Simmons made it clear the Reaves’ skillset could translate for the Rockets if a trade ever materialized.

While the Lakers remain committed to Reaves for the time being, the discussion provides an examination of the potential impact not having a solid point guard option can have for the Rockets, and even the smallest injection of talent could potentially save their season.

The Rockets Constraints Make Acquiring a Point Guard Difficult

The Houston Rockets’ current situation makes acquiring a guard like Austin Reaves, or any other potential replacement for VanVleet extremely challenging. The team is operating near the cap for the 1st apron, and has multiple key players already signed. Their flexibility is so limited that minimum-salary players are not available to them, because they’re hard-capped at the first apron with only $1.2M available to spend: not enough for a minimum contract. Similarly, the disabled player exception is also off the table, because using it would push them over their hard-cap.

Several crucial pieces (Adams, VanVleet, Capela, Finney-Smith, Smith Jr., Okogie, Holiday and Green) cannot be traded until December 15th due to league rules. The only players Houston can trade are Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard – all key pieces, whose loss would put the team’s long-term development into jeopardy.

In short, the Rockets are effectively locked out of any external method of acquiring a starter-level point guard until mid-December, which leaves them to rely upon internal development. Reed Sheppard, the backup for VanVleet, who only played 12.6 minutes last season and remains unproven or, perhaps, not ready to move into the starting role. The other option is Amen Thompson, who played 27% of his 2203 minutes at point guard last year, but is not a floor spacer and had an unreliable handle. The hope for Houston is that their talent can keep them afloat until they can move for a new starter.