Fitting Jodie Meeks on the Rockets

After a 128-108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets are currently below .500 (9-11) on the season, while riding a four-game losing streak heading into Friday’s match-up against the San Antonio Spurs. As their early season struggles continue, it is safe to say that Houston is on the verge of shaking things up.

As they attempt to dig out of their slow start, Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report, reported that the Rockets are looking to add wing players as they monitor the trade market.

With Carmelo Anthony still on the roster, Houston is exploring potential trade partners in hopes of finding the right wing player in a deal. Since Anthony is not eligible for a trade until December 15, there is one potential move the Rockets can make to help improve their team ASAP.

On Saturday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Milwaukee Bucks waived guard Jodie Meeks following the conclusion of his anti-drug program suspension. The Bucks acquired Meeks from the Washington Wizards in October, and although he claimed to have taken a banned substance unintentionally, he still served a 25-game suspension by the NBA.

With hopes of reviving his career now that his time served is over, Meeks would be a solid acquisition for the Rockets. His signing would be low-risk, high-reward due to the production he can provide as a willing bench player.

Through the first quarter of the season, Houston’s second unit has played well below expectations. The Rockets are currently ranked last in the league in points scored off the bench at 14.7 per game. Over their last four, Houston’s second unit has been even worse, averaging a league-low 11.9 points on 32.6 percent shooting from the field.

However, with the addition of Meeks, Houston’s bench production could improve. The 31-year old sharpshooter from the University of Kentucky made a career for himself as one of the more reliable three-point shooters in the league.

The 2013-14 season stands as the best year of Meeks’ career. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged a career-high 15.7 points and 1.4 steals, while shooting 40.1 percent on 3-point field goal attempts across 77 games.

Unfortunately, since leaving the Lakers in free agency that same summer, Meeks has failed to recapture the status that made him a nightmare for his opponents in Los Angeles.

However, if given the opportunity to play within Mike D’Antoni’s offense, it could help bring some resurgence to Meeks’ career, similar to the way D’Antoni helped rejuvenate the careers of Gerald Green and Eric Gordon. In addition to reviving his career in Houston, Meeks could prove to be a valuable floor spacer and three-point shooter playing alongside James Harden and Chris Paul, two of the best playmakers in the league.

As a 10-year veteran, there is an enormous upside with the potential signing of Jodie Meeks. A second-round pick by the Bucks in 2009, Meeks has averaged 9.3 points on 41.8 percent shooting, 37.2 percent from behind the 3-point arc in 531 career games.

Meeks is likely desperate to prove he can still help out a team, would likely come cheap, and the Rockets wouldn’t need to wait until the buyout market to procure his services.

Make sure you check out the other articles in our Fitting series: