If the critics have it right, then the Houston Rockets are officially entering, "One player away," territory. Houston won 52 games in 2024-25, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but ultimately fell in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Perhaps that indeed adds up to Houston being one player away from truly contending, but it must remain methodical in its team-building efforts—and remember that Trae Young isn't the answer.

Houston has been labeled by most as an overachieving team that won via its strength in numbers, culture, and coaching. Alperen Sengun made his first career All-Star Game appearance, but the Rockets lacked a distingiuishable go-to scoring option, let alone a top-tier playmaker to lead the offense.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, an anonymous talent evaluator proposed a potential trade for Houston that they feel acknowledges those issues: Acquiring Young from the Atlanta Hawks.

"One trusted talent evaluator went so far as to pinpoint two teams he suggests would be wise to test Atlanta’s resolve once it does hire a new president of basketball operations, asserting that Orlando and Houston would both benefit strongly from Trae Young’s offensive gifts while also possessing ample defensive-minded personnel to insulate Young at the other end."

Young is one of the most dynamic and productive scorers and playmakers in the NBA, but Houston must not lose sight of what got it to the dance.

There's no way around how spectacular Young can be when he's at his best. He's a three-time All-Star and former All-NBA honoree who led the Association in assists per game during the 2024-25 regular season and guided the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21.

For as intriguing as that may be, Young is also an isolation-oriented player whose defensive inconsistency has unfortunately limited his appeal.

It's admittedly difficult to overlook the numbers. In 2024-25, Young averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.9 three-point field goals made per game, scoring at least 20 points in 51 games and dishing out a minimum of 10 assists in 52.

For perspective: Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 5.6 assists per game, exceeding 10 on just four occasions during the regular season.

Basketball is bigger than the numbers, however, and talent isn't as much of an end-all, be-all as it seems. Cohesion and chemistry are essential when winning at the highest level, especially under the current CBA, which has forced teams to emphasize depth alongside star power.

Houston is admittedly in need of a player who can take over late in games, and perhaps even run the offense, but the fit with Young simply isn't there.

The Rockets' success begins and ends with defense. While that seemingly implies they could mask some of Young's flaws on that end, their dominance is a product of having no weak links. Furthermore, they ranked in the top half of the league in offensive rating—suggesting they need a go-to scorer more than they're lacking a ball-dominant playmaker.

Young is as talented as they come, but if Houston hopes to take the next step, it can't afford to change the way it plays in favor of one productive player whose flaws would disrupt the culture.