1. Marquese Chriss
This one was too easy, right?
In case you missed the news, Marquese Chriss has recently taken a stand. According to his agent Aaron Goodwin (via Yahoo! Sports‘ Chris Haynes), the former No. 8 overall pick either wants more playing time or wants out of Houston. Considering the Rockets just signed Kenneth Faried, chances are the team will choose the latter option.
When the Rockets originally acquired Chriss from the Suns, it seemed like a perfect fit. The young forward didn’t get the opportunities he deserved in Phoenix, but matching him with Houston’s high-octane offense made sense. However, through the first few months, it’s been a bumpy relationship.
Now it appears Chriss is ready to find yet another NBA home. Whether or not the Rockets grant him that opportunity is still to be determined, but the odds seem in his favor.
Considering his draft status and seemingly untapped potential, there should be a market for Chriss. The Rockets may not get a ton in return, but parting ways with a locker room irritant is worth the potential loss in value.
Unless Houston is willing to squeeze a few minutes out of its lineup to make room for Chriss, chances are he’ll be dealt before Feb. 7. The Rockets need to be in top form come playoff time, and managing an unhappy player gets in the way of accomplishing that.