Rockets Reportedly Trying To Trade For Popular Former Warriors Player
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 29: A general view of the arena before Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center on April 29, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Kent Bazemore left the Golden State Warriors a year before the team exploded into a powerhouse and won its first championship. He's a nice player, but he also has an outsized impact on recent NBA history.
Bazemore famously negotiated a deal with Under Armour back in 2012, when he was just an undrafted free agent. The apparel company supplied him with tons of gear, and the whole strategy wound up being pretty pivotal in eventually inking Steph Curry as its top NBA endorser.
He went on to a brief tenure with the Lakers, and has been with the Atlanta Hawks since 2014. Last season, he averaged 12.9 points per game or the struggling Atlanta team.
He's known as a very popular locker room presence, and after shooting over 39-percent from three-point range on 4.2 attempts per game in 2017-18, both career highs, and he is known as a good defensive player.
The Hawks recently acquired Carmelo Anthony, who is set to join the Houston Rockets after being waived. According to a new report, the team is also interesting in Bazemore.
USA Today's Kelly Iko says that the Rockets are looking to trade for Kent Bazemore:
From the full report:
Houston is still active on trade fronts, perusing the market for a wing defender, and remains interested in Kent Bazemore of the Atlanta Hawks—according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
[...]
Hawks GM Travis Schlenk wants assets, will always listen to offers, and would take back a contract such as Ryan Anderson’s but would require it be attached with a draft pick and/or a young player.
Houston has been engaging teams looking for someone to take Anderson’s contract for months, and currently has its 2019 first-round pick. A package of Anderson, Onuaku and a 2019 first checks out, but Atlanta doesn’t view Onuaku as a “move-the-needle” type prospect.
Iko notes that Bazemore has laid down roots in Atlanta, recently buying a home in the area. The Hawks also value his locker room presence as it looks to rebuild around rookie guard Trae Young.
