Quietly, but surely, the Houston Rockets made two sneaky moves to improve at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline. Neither stole headlines, but both were crafty and important.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Rockets landed rookie shooting guard K.J. McDaniels from the Philadelphia 76ers and point guard Pablo Prigioni from the New York Knicks.
"The Houston Rockets acquired point guards Pablo Prigioni and K.J. McDaniels in separate trades prior to the deadline, league sources told Yahoo Sports.The Rockets sent guard Alexey Shved and two second-round picks to the New York Knicks for Prigioni, sources said.In a separate deal, Houston traded guard Isaiah Canaan and a second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for McDaniels, sources said."
The players were acquired in separate moves.
The Rockets dealt Isaiah Canaan and a second-round draft pick to the Sixers for McDaniels. The former Clemson Tigers star is one of the most athletically intriguing players in recent memory, possessing elite defensive potential and uncanny shot-blocking ability for a wing.
McDaniels will be a restricted free agent during the summer of 2015.
Houston sent Alexey Shved and a pair of second-rounders to the Knicks for Prigioni. The 37-year-old is a sharpshooting point guard who can space the floor and play the passing lanes.
Prigioni will step in to provide important minutes as one of the few actual point guards on Houston’s roster.
All in all, the Rockets went a long way towards improving their perimeter depth and long-term potential by landing immediate help at point guard and an upside play with right-now ability along the perimeter.