Ethan assists James? The Rockets and the Lakers are planning to trade 2 for 1?

Congratulations to the Rockets on the $122 million contract renewal of Jabbarri Smith Jr. in five years. According to The Athletic Rockets reporter Kelly Iko, Jabbarri's contract does not have any team or player options, and this contract with an average annual salary of less than $25 million is a great value for money. Famous reporter Shams posted a message saying that the Rockets management has repeatedly refused to include Jabarri Jr. in Durant's deal, and he is the core candidate for the future designated by general manager Raphael Stone. The Rockets management values ​​Jabbarri's future development, and he still has a lot of unexplored potential, and training with Durant every day this season will help him grow up quickly. Salary expert Sam Quinn analyzed Jabbarri's contract renewal from another perspective. Because of insufficient salary space, the Rockets management will find it difficult for him to retain Tari Ethan, so he may become a bargaining chip for trading this summer.

Recently, the US media "NBA Analysis Network" suggested that the Lakers management pursues Rockets defensive champion Tari Ethan this summer offseason. Finney Smith refused to execute the final year player option and became a full free agent. Senior executives of multiple teams across the league have pursued him, and the Lakers have little hope of leaving him. The media suggested that the Rockets and Lakers discuss a 2-for-1 trading offer to achieve the goal of each. If the negotiations go smoothly, Finney Smith is expected to go to Houston to assist Durant, Ethan will share the defensive pressure for Doncic and James. The specific trading plan: The Rockets send Tari Ethan + Jock Langdale to get Finney Smith of the Lakers (sign first and then exchange).

Rocket management's operations this summer are satisfying. General manager Raphael Stone handled All-Star small forward Durant at the lowest price; persuaded starting point guard Van Vleet to cut salary by more than $20 million; renewed Adams and Jabbarri Jr.'s annual salary is within a reasonable range, and he also wanted to use three basic salary contracts to retain Jessian Tate, Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday to ensure that the Rockets' lineup framework is complete. Finney Smith is one of the players interested in the Rockets' management, because he can perform exceptionally well every time he meets the Rockets. He averages 28.9 minutes per game this season, contributes 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists, and has a three-point shooting percentage of 41.1%. He is a versatile player, with outstanding physical fitness, strong offense and defense, strong pick-and-roll awareness, outstanding passing ability, stable outside shooting, good at rebounds, and able to defend multiple positions. The data cannot fully reflect his value. Finney Smith's resilience and unyielding spirit on the court are often praised.

The Lakers' top priority is to strengthen the No. 5 position. Ayton was bought out by the Trail Blazers and gave Lakers general manager Pelinka a chance. But Finney Smith's choice to jump out of the player option also let him go. Ethan, 24, is a forward all-rounder with unlimited potential. Once he finds his form, he plays like Leonard, but due to a calf injury, his attendance rate has not been high in the past two seasons. To protect him, head coach Uduka refused to let him participate in back-to-back games. Even if his playing time is irregular, Ethan can still efficiently score 12 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals during his 24.9 minutes of playing time per game. His joining can make up for the vacancy after Finney Smith left, but the Lakers still need to face Ethan's contract renewal next summer. But everything is not absolute. James is likely to choose to retire at that time, which may create conditions for renewal of Ethan.

All views refer to authoritative American media and are for reference only. Click to follow and recommend fans first.