Send Shepard away? Dick assists Durant?

The German men's basketball team defeated the Turkish men's basketball team and won the European Championship. Heihe Schroeder was an invincible existence in the European arena. In the final, he scored 16 points, 3 rebounds and 12 assists, and won the MVP of this men's basketball team's European Championship with his outstanding performance. But in the NBA arena, Schroder's efficiency on both offense and defense suddenly declined. After his contract expired this summer, his old club Nets refused to give a renewal offer. The Kings took him back with a middle-class agreement, which is the best treatment Schroder can receive. After seeing Schroeder's outstanding performance, American fans couldn't help but worry about the prospects of the American Men's Basketball Dream Team in the Olympics, and the American media gave their own judgment on this.

NBA famous reporter Zach Lowe recently made an outlook on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics American men's basketball lineup on the podcast "The Zach Lowe Show". He believes that Amen Thompson should be on the roster. He can not only grab rebounds, but also actively defend various positions. Zach Lowe also emphasized: "It is hard to imagine the scene where international defenders try to make layups in front of Amen, and they will be dizzy by the defense." Schroeder has no advantage when facing Amen Thompson, whether it is height, wingspan, confrontation, speed, and agility, and he may not even be able to see the basket one-on-one. His only drawback is his poor shooting ability, so Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has never given up on the idea of ​​adding a pure pitcher.

Recently, the US media "NBA Analysis" suggested that the Rockets management will use Grady Dick as the primary target of signings. He is Amen Thompson's rookie. He was selected by the Raptors with the 13th pick in the first round. He averaged 29.4 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season, contributed 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals, and shot 35% from three-pointers. Dick made great progress last season, and he made the outside world believe that he was more than just a name. Dick's shooting can open the game for Barnes and Ingram, and his ability to control is also seriously underestimated. He is only 21 years old and has room for further improvement. His future achievements are expected to surpass Lakers coach JJ Redick. The media provided a 2-for-2 trading offer to the Rockets and Raptors. If the negotiations go smoothly, Shepard will be sent to Toronto as a bargaining chip. The specific trading plan is: the Rockets send Reed Shepard + the Rockets' second round pick in 2030 to get Grady Dick + Abakkey from the Raptors.

Apart from Dick, Abakkey's strength should not be underestimated. Last season, he averaged 27.1 minutes per game, scoring 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1 steal, and his three-point shooting percentage was 40%. According to Forbes NBA reporter Evan Sidery, Abaki has attracted the interest of many teams in the league due to his outstanding performance. He is still in the rookie bonus period with his contract and is extremely cost-effective. For some teams with limited salary space and need to be strengthened, Abaki is the perfect trading target. After sending Jaylen Green away, the Rockets continued to add a shooting guard. Although Abaki cannot compare with Jaylen Green in personal scoring ability, as a functional player, he only needs to seize the open opportunities created by his teammates to gain a foothold in the Rockets.

For the Raptors, Shepard has the trading talent to become an All-Star, but the Rockets cannot provide him with enough opportunities to show his strength. The Raptors have no pressure to rank in the new season. Head coach Rajakovic is still focusing on training new players. Shepard is expected to regain confidence in Toronto and grow into the team's organizational core.