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Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports listed the Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell and the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard as potential trade targets for the Houston Rockets this offseason.

The Houston Rockets are back to the drawing board after the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

It marked the second straight season the Rockets were eliminated in the first round, a result that could lead to another active offseason. Houston may be looking to add another star talent alongside Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.

Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko believes that among the star talent that the Rockets may be interested in, the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Donovan Mitchell and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard are potential suitors.

Donovan Mitchell, 29, will be making $50.1 million in 2026-27 with a $53.81 million player option in 2027-28. Whether the Cavaliers can cement their place in the East’s contender conversation will help Mitchell decide on his contract.

Cleveland was able to advance in the first round after knocking off the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 over the weekend. They now play the Detroit Pistons in the second round.

Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard, 34, is set to make $50.3 million in his final season under contract with the Clippers in 2026-27. Leonard is coming off a career year, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in 2025-26.

Rockets Also Interested in Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and 76ers’ Joel Embiid

After acquiring 36-year-old Kevin Durant last summer, there have been hints that the Rockets’ front office is sensing a win-now motive, Iko wrote. Adding more superstars to the mix could help bolster the desperate-for-a-championship Rockets team.

To add on to potential trade targets for the Houston Rockets this summer, Iko added that the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid could be names to watch.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, 31, has expressed his frustrations with the Bucks over the past year. Reports have said that the Milwaukee superstar even asked to be traded multiple times throughout last season.

Antetokounmpo is in line to make $58.45 million next season with a $62.78 million player option for the 2027-28 season. The answer to whether Antetokounmpo stays put in Milwaukee or moves on after spending his first 13 seasons with the team will be answered this summer.

As for Joel Embiid, 32, the 76ers star has been a frustrating roster spot in Philadelphia. In the past three seasons, Embiid has missed 150 of the possible 246 regular-season games.

His constant injuries have been a topic of conversation among Philly fans for a long time. However, the 76ers upset the No. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. This has left the debate over whether Joel Embiid is weighing the team down at a stalemate.

What Rockets Players Are Potentially on the Trade Block?

A franchise usually has to shed multiple players and/or draft compensation when trading for a star-level talent such as Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Joel Embiid.

In the Houston Rockets’ case, multiple names will be in the trade mix. Alperen Sengun and the $145.96 million he will make through the 2029-30 season are possible candidates. While awaiting a decision on his $25 million player option for next season, Fred VanVleet could emerge as a name in trade discussions as well.

Kevin Durant was an underwhelming factor for the Rockets in the playoffs this season. After missing five of the six games in the first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant could very well be in the trade conversations as well.

After back-to-back disappointing playoff runs in 2025 and 2026, the Houston Rockets will try once again to build a roster that’s capable of becoming a contender. In the quest to do so, it almost feels as if nobody on Houston’s roster is truly safe.