Report: Multiple Teams Interested In Alperen Sengun, Rockets Aren’t Trading Him

According to NBA insider Zach Lowe of ESPN, multiple teams are interested in trading for Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun.

However, the Rockets are not trading Sengun.

“When there was even a whiff of Sengun’s availability on the market — and I don’t know if he was ever really available at all — but there was some teams that were really, really interested to get into that bidding,” Lowe said on his podcast. 

Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks for the Rockets in 2023-24 while shooting 53.7% from the field, 29.7% from beyond the arc and 69.3% from the free-throw line. He’s eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension this offseason. 

One of the top players in the NBA, Sengun has career averages of 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks. 

The Rockets were interested in trading for Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler or Paul George this offseason. However, Durant is staying with the Phoenix Suns, Butler is staying with the Miami Heat and George left the Los Angeles Clippers for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Houston went 41-41 in 2023-24, missing the playoffs again. The Rockets haven’t made the postseason since 2020 when James Harden and Russell Westbrook were on the team. 

Some stars Houston has its eyes on are Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker and Zion Williamson, per NBA insiders Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. 

However, Mitchell signed an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Booker and Williamson are the franchise players on the Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively. 

“So, who are the Rockets interested in as franchise centerpiece material? League sources say that Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, the Suns’ Devin Booker (also 27) and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson (23) would all fit the bill,” Amick and Slater wrote. “The only problem, of course, is that none of them are expected to be available anytime soon.”