The eighth edition of HoopsHype’s NBA trade value rankings is officially here! To conduct this exercise, HoopsHype staff members evaluated and ranked the Top 100 based on each player’s talent, production levels, past performances, age, availability, the scarcity of their position, their current contract, and future prospects.
Here’s where several members of the 2023-24 Houston Rockets ended up, led by Alperen Sengun at No. 23 overall.
Others on the Top 100 list include Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson. The complete list is at HoopsHype, while rankings specific to the Rockets are available below.
Commentary and salary analysis is written by HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina and Yossi Gozlan. A detailed breakdown regarding all of Houston’s future salary obligations and contracts is available here.
No. 23: Alperen Sengun (Houston)
- Guaranteed money left: $9.0 million till 2024-25
- Agent: Sean Kennedy
There’s an alternate reality where the Rockets successfully signed Brook Lopez with their cap space last summer. Luckily for them, that fell through since it would’ve marginalized Alperen Sengun and the massive strides he’s made this season. He’s finally becoming the offensive machine that he has shown potential for, especially his playmaking, which has drawn comparisons with Nikola Jokic. He’s been Houston’s most valuable player in their solid start to the season and is one of the frontrunners for Most Improved Player.
No. 42: Jalen Green (Houston)
- Guaranteed money left: $22.4 million till 2024-25
- Agent: Aaron Mintz and Andrew Morrison
The Rockets significantly raised their floor by adding veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. They are on track to at least finish in Play-In territory, but their ability to be better than that rests in Jalen Green as a ceiling raiser. So far, he hasn’t made a meaningful improvement from last season to suggest that the leap is coming just yet. Still, the hope remains high that he plays closer to the level reflective of his second overall selection, and should still hold strong value across the league.
No. 58: Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston)
- Guaranteed money left: $31.4 million till 2025-26
- Agent: Wallace Prather
In his second season, he’s shown moderate improvements on both ends of the floor thus far. His potential as a ball-handling wing with defensive versatility who can shoot threes – even off the dribble – and block shots will make him a valued asset for years to come as long as he continues to improve.
No. 64: Fred VanVleet (Houston)
- Guaranteed money left: $83.7 million till 2024-25
- Agent: Rich Paul and Erika Ruiz
On just the second team of his career, he remains a very good playmaker who can do some scoring, especially from three. However, his contract is quite the hindrance to his trade value, as he’s signed through 2025-26, a season in which he’ll earn $44.9 million, an astronomical number for a player of his production and age. In fairness, that year of his contract has a team option on it, which does diminish how much it’ll hurt a team interested in trading for him.
No. 72: Amen Thompson (Houston)
- Guaranteed money left: $40.0 million till 2026-27
- Agent: Troy Thompson
If he hadn’t spent most of this season injured, he’d surely rank higher on this list thanks to his huge upside and the fact he’s in Year 1 of his rookie-scale contract. Thompson has huge promise as a smooth wing with great length and versatility on both ends.
