It was recently announced that Fred VanVleet had torn his ACL, and is set to miss likely all of the upcoming season for the Rockets. What that could do is give the Toronto Raptors a massive opportunity as it pertains to a potential Immanuel Quickley trade option.
Out of nowhere, Houston is now going to be in need of a guard upgrade. Meanwhile, Quickley is one of the Raptors' more tradeable pieces, and Toronto has reportedly been open to moving him in order to upgrade their roster.
The Rockets are a partner that could work well in a potential deal for a number of reasons. The first of which being that they need specifically what Quickley brings to the table. The offensive creation, shooting ability, and pick-and-roll expertise that Immanuel possesses would serve to be a big complement to Houston's top players.
It's pretty clear that the Rockets are in a place where they need a player of Quickley's ilk. Without VanVleet, they may be forced to lean on Amen Thompson as their starting point guard should they not make any moves. Having to thrust a young guy into a high-pressure situation to fill a major roster gap is not the kind of position any contending team wants to be in.
The Rockets could be a good fit for Immanuel Quickley
And I believe Quickley would be more than just an okay fit in Houston. He's a very different player than VanVleet, and he could totally change the equation for a team trying to contend in the Western Conference while at a loss when it comes to guard depth. Immanuel's scoring aggression and higher level of shot creation is something that could be very attractive to the Rockets' front office.
Quickley is currently under contract. What that means is that Houston will have to take on a relatively expensive contract, but they will at least know exactly what they are getting. No wondering about whether he will re-sign or if they will have to think about trading him. It's the kind of move you would think a win-now team like the Rockets would make.
Trading Quickley would make sense from the Raptors' side of things given that they have already been exploring the possibility. Getting him off the books would allow Toronto to re-allocate their resources to other areas of need. While he's talented, Immanuel's contract is considerably large, and the front office might prefer to convert that into more balanced pieces.
As for what the Raptors could get back in exchange, Houston would be able to offer a mix of draft compensation, young players and more experienced wings. That kind of return would not only give Toronto flexibility for the future, but also ensure they are not simply giving away a key starter without replenishing both their roster and their asset pool.