Rockets Have Talked Trade With Pistons Centered on Alec Burks

The Rockets are unloading guard Kevin Porter Jr. in a trade with the Thunder, but they may not be finished.

Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Houston has recently been in contact with the Pistons about a potential trade centered on Detroit guard/forward Alec Burks.

Given that coach Monty Williams may aim to go entirely with a youth movement at the wings, Burks could be the odd man out, Fischer noted.

Williams and the Pistons could “decide to start rookie swingman Ausar Thompson and bring sophomore standout Jaden Ivey off the bench. Marcus Sasser, the No. 25 pick from this June’s draft, has also played well in the preseason, and there are further minutes to spread between Joe Harris and Killian Hayes, as well as Monte Morris off the bench,” Fischer wrote.

The Rockets have also had Jazz guard Talen Horton-Tucker and Trail Blazers point guard Malcolm Brogdon on their radar in recent days, per Fischer. It’s unclear if Houston is still interested in those two following the Porter trade.

Burks, 32, is 6-foot-6 and averaged 12.8 points in 51 games last season, shooting 41 percent on 3-pointers along the way. He has also spent time with the Jazz, Cavaliers, Kings, Warriors, 76ers and Knicks. 

Burks currently is on an expiring $10.5 million contract, per Sportac.