The Houston Rockets’ roster took a massive blow when Fred VanVleet tore his ACL.
Unfortunately, their backup guards are a little thin, despite the rest of their roster being loaded.
Moving forward, they can either run a lineup with their players out of position or make a trade. One idea proposed by CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin has them acquiring a player even better than VanVleet.
“(Derrick) White is a considerable upgrade from VanVleet and is locked up for the next four years, so this wouldn't, unlike a few other options we'll talk about, be a short-term solution,” Botkin said Thursday.
“White is the new Jrue Holiday. A winner in every sense and the perfect fit alongside any star in any system. If you're on the cusp of contention, he's the guy to put you over the top.”
Although the Boston Celtics love Derrick White, they could capitalize on the fact that they are in a gap year, and White is now in his 30s.
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Houston has plenty of valuable assets that could be expendable.
To a team like Boston, they might bite on a guy like Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., or Tari Eason.
White has been the Celtics' savior and played a massive role in their championship win in 2024.
He has averaged 14.2 points per game in four years with the team and has made two All-Defensive second teams.
He may not be the creator VanVleet is, but if he were to play alongside Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün, that may not be necessary.
White could be the guy to save Houston’s season.
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