Inside The Rockets

Rockets Still Paying Price for Russell Westbrook Trade

The Houston Rockets' poor decisions of the past still haunt the team today.

Jeremy Brener

Sep 12, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks on in the second half of game five of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks on in the second half of game five of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets tried making a bold move after falling in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, trading Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook, two first-round picks and two pick swaps.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley slammed the deal and proved why the Rockets are still paying for their misfortunes.

"In July 2019, the Rockets sacrificed a significant amount of their future flexibility for the chance to extend their contention window with James Harden," Buckley writes. "Houston was knocked out of the second round and virtually everyone skipped town after. Westbrook, Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey all exited during that offseason, while Harden forced his way out a few weeks into the 2020-21 season. The Rockets plunged into a years-long rebuild after, a project made more difficult by the fact that they were without these assets. They just lost their first of the two first-round picks (Nikola Topić, No. 12 in 2024) and are still on the hook for a top-four protected pick in 2026."

It remains to be seen what would have happened if the Rockets had held on to Paul for just one more year with Harden. Perhaps the Rockets would have made it further in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. But that's the past, and the Rockets have done everything in their power to try to move on from it. They still have the pick swap in 2026, but Houston has a brand new team that has the Harden era looking like a distant memory.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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