As the Houston Rockets enter the season, their loss of starting point guard Fred VanVleet to a potentially season-ending ACL tear looms larger than perhaps any other storyline.
Although the team plans to deploy some combination of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard in order to fill this gap, it is quite probable that they will ultimately look to the in-season trade market to truly propel themselves back into championship contention.
However, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently have 38-year-old Mike Conley slated as their starting point guard, are also looking to contend, and, in order to do so, they and the Rockets might need to be fishing from the same, limited pond.
The Minnesota Timberwolves could mess with the Rockets' chances of getting the point guard they need
As the Timberwolves come off of their second straight conference finals appearance, they appear well-poised to contend yet again with the budding chemistry of Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
Yet, their biggest question mark, like the Rockets, rests squarely upon their point guard rotation. Conley, who saw his production dip yet again last season to just 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, does not project to be a starting-caliber player for a championship-seeking team much longer.
To make matters worse, their backup point guard, second year player Rob Dillingham, took on an exceedingly limited role in his rookie year, and, although he appears poised to garner more minutes this season, it is highly improbable that he is truly ready to take over those duties himself.
The Rockets, meanwhile, could be in a dire position if neither Thompson nor Sheppard truly work out as primary facilitators this season. They are hard-capped at the second apron and, as a result, cannot even make a move as of now to bring in a player on a veteran minimum to help fill a roster spot.
Moreover, they are largely barred from trading any of their movable salaries until December 15 as a result of the deals that Clint Capela, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith and a number of other players signed this offseason.
While it remains to be seen who will be available, speculation has abounded regarding guards that Houston could target once their trade restrictions are lifted. They do have access to an abundance of draft capital and tradeable deals that will be a serious boon to them once the market really gets going.
While Minnesota is more limited in this regard, look for them to be aggressive in pursuing any reliable point guards on relatively agreeable deals that become available: a fact that could drive the price Houston needs to pay beyond what is reasonable. The Rockets' best-case scenario, therefore, is that Thompson and Sheppard eliminate the need for them to go hunting for a player of the same position.