Will the Houston Rocket rumors ever stop? Not likely

On Tuesday, once again, a rumor circulated concerning the Houston Rockets and Mikal Bridges. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported that the Brooklyn Nets have discussed with the Rockets a trade that would send the No. 3 pick in the June 26 draft, originally the Nets’, to Brooklyn in exchange for Bridges.

In a YouTube video accompanying his mock draft, O’Connor seemed definitive about said discussions and the Rockets’ intentions in his YouTube video accompanying the mock draft (starting at 2:50).

“The Rockets, according to my sources, are once again listening to trade offers. They’re talking to the Nets, they’re talking to the Grizzlies,” said O’Connor, whose draft offers are among the best in the NBA this time of year. “They could end up going down to No. 9 if it’s Memphis or going out if it’s Brooklyn and then getting Mikal Bridges back. We’ll see what the Rockets do, but if they keep the No. 3 pick, I see them taking Donovan Clingan.

Of course, that was enough for Nets fans to jump into our latest social media craze regarding the possibility of the Nets going from a modified, limited rebuild or reorganization of their hangout to a full, multi-year teardown . tank work, something the organization has said, simply put, is not in the works.

Indeed, ND quickly received a denial from the inside… a few minutes after the KOC news and the Twitter madness that resulted…

More precisely, the wording was: “No, we are not” in talks.

Even more confusing was the actual text of The Ringer’s mock draft regarding the Nets and Rockets: There was no mention of discussions between the two teams, just between the Rockets and Grizzlies.

“The Rockets are hoping the Nets would be willing to move Mikal Bridges for this. But these same sources say that the Nets, on the contrary, prefer to add pieces around Bridges.

Indeed, Bridges-to-the-Rockets is the story that will not die, despite the denials and simply the lack of logic. The Nets have had several opportunities to trade him in the nearly year and a half since they acquired him, starting with an offer from Memphis of four starting players (not described in more detail) immediately after the failure of the exchange. And let’s not forget that Sean Marks is on record as saying that if Bridges hadn’t been included in the Kevin Durant trade, it would have been a deal breaker.

Yet we were treated to a wave of rumors, apparently originating from Houston, that the Rockets would offer a treasure trove of assets, each of which was met with denial.

• The Rockets are reportedly willing to trade “several” of the Nets’ remaining assets held by Houston for Bridges.
• The Rockets are reportedly willing to add Jalen Green to draft picks in a mega deal for Bridges.
• The Rockets and other teams have been willing to offer four or even five first-round picks for Bridges (Woj said so.)
• The Rockets are reportedly willing to trade the Nets’ remaining draft assets for the Suns’ draft assets the Nets hold. Yeah, it would have worked if it had actually been more than just an idea to have a good time.

Fans may wonder if this complete rebuild is the smart strategy, but it doesn’t seem like the underlying story is real.

Plus, we’re not motivated if the rumors come from Houston. Are they trying to get Marks to call and say, “Okay, you win, let’s talk.” Once again, the Nets general manager had this opportunity several times. Or maybe someone in the Nets organization is leaking it thinking the tanking time has finally come. It seems highly unlikely given the closed-mindedness of HSS and the Nets staff. You know state secrets.

The bottom line, of course, is not what has been said over and over in various permutations, but that the Brooklyn Nets will build and grow around Mikal Bridges. Other pieces too, including Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Noah Clowney, Day’ron Sharpe and maybe even Ben Simmons and Dariq Whitehead if they’re healthy.

Things can always change – Sean Marks loves to move in the draft – but at this point, everything points to building and developing: the choice of Jordi Fernandez as head coach, the development-focused roster and even the journey of Fernandez in Miami to speak with Simmons. . Not to mention, Bridges continues to be a presence on the field during Liberty games.

So by now the strategy should be obvious…to everyone, including the Rockets front office. We will see.