The Houston Rockets lost a star center when Dwight Howard opted to sign with the Atlanta Hawks this free agency, but the team could replace him by trading for the Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins. 

Houston still has Clint Capela and off-season addition Nenê at center, although none of them are close to being stars. 

Nenê is a tested veteran and was once one of the most efficient centers in the league, but in the past few years, his numbers continued to go downhill. Meanwhile, Capela is a budding big man who played Howard's backup in the 2015-16 season. 

If the Rockets make no moves ahead of the new season, they will settle with the two at center.

However, if the Rockets want to be Western Conference contenders again, they might aim to improve their no. 5 position and complete a trade for Cousins. 

Cousins is a favorite in trade talks, even if the Kings have already expressed the desire to keep him. If the 25-year-old heads to Houston, he will do more than be Howard's replacement because aside from dominating the paint, he is also a prolific scorer. 

In a report, it was suggested that if the Rockets are gunning for Cousins, the players they can ship to Sacramento in exhange for him are Capela, veteran Corey Brewer, guard K.J. McDaniels and forward Sam Dekker. 

The acquisition of Cousins will give Houston an All-Star duo, together with James Harden, that can be expected to take the franchise to new heights.

However, there is no certainty that the Kings would say yes to the Rockets' projected offer. It might take more than that before they give up Cousins. 

Adding Cousins might be a long shot for the Rockets, but for now, they have nothing to lose especially after a lackluster campaign that saw them exit in the first round of the playoffs.