The Houston Rockets are eager to build a win-now team, but winning the trades that aren’t directly needle-movers could be a way to help the team in the margins in the meantime.

One small move the Rockets could lean into in the short term would be moving on from their third-string center in a trade involving the Golden State Warriors.

Now, the Warriors might start to get desperate for a change of scenery at the big man position, trying to replace Kevon Looney who has dwindled since the team’s 2022 title run. Fortunately, the Rockets have a big man rotation of Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams and Jock Landale.

While Sengun is likely unattainable for the Warriors, and Houston might want to see Adams in the rotation before making any moves there, Landale might be worth Golden State taking a shot on.

Landale has been incredible in Olympic play, and he’s shown flashes of offense at the NBA level, a skill in that could inject some life into the Warriors’ offense from the center position. There’s potential for him to step outside and knock down 3-pointers and Golden State might want to take a shot on that.

With Stephen Curry aging, Golden State might find some urgency to improve and do so quickly. Landale could be a buy-low center and swapping Looney might do the trick, as Houston would get a third option at the center position with more championship experience on the squad.

Looney is also in the final year of his deal, meaning there would be no sacrifice as it pertains to financial flexibility heading into the next offseason.

Again, this move certainly isn’t a needle-mover for Houston, but it’s a small move that is a low risk, though could provide a benefit to the club, and there’s certainly reason to believe Golden State would make the move.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.