Detroit Pistons: A trade for Russell Westbrook (with no Blake Griffin)

Does this trade work for the Houston Rockets?

The Houston Rockets are in for some pain no matter how they cut a trade involving Russell Westbrook. They’re going to have to shovel draft picks into any package just to get teams to pick up the phone, and the Pistons will be right to hold their feet to the fire to maximize what they can get.

They will part with three draft picks, and the future is hazy for the Rockets. That 2022 top-five protected pick could be exceptionally valuable if they have a true fire sale and move not just Russell Westbrook but James Harden as well. The two second-round picks are just gravy, although if the Rockets are in freefall by 2024, perhaps that pick is closer to a late-first than it appears now.

As far as the on-court product, Tony Snell doesn’t do much other than reluctantly shoot the ball, but he’s accurate when he does fire away. He’s a career 38.5 percent shooter from 3-point range and hit 40.2 from distance last season.

Derrick Rose can play on the ball with James Harden at times and can carry the load when Harden goes to the bench, and could be a good fit with a reserve unit still accustomed to fitting around a heliocentric ball-handler.

Any trade of Russell Westbrook is going to hurt, but a shooter and Derrick Rose could assuage some of that discomfort. As far as possible trade packages, this one probably works better than most for the Houston Rockets.