Rockets Draw Criticism Following Offseason Trade with Nets

Should they have gotten more from Brooklyn?

Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets made a trade with the Brooklyn Nets that gave Houston more draft assets down the road. Rockets general manager, Rafael Stone, and Nets general manager, Sean Marks, had reportedly been having trade talks for an extensive amount of time, so it wasn't exactly a surprise when the two teams struck a deal.

However, the Rockets didn't quite land praise for the move, as many thought they should've netted more, especially since they returned draft capital to Brooklyn, who will now be even more incentivized to tank. Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes criticized Stone and the Rockets' front office for their return.

"It's almost never a bad deal when you trade two first-round assets for four, but what if the Houston Rockets could have extracted even more value from the Brooklyn Nets?

Think about it: Brooklyn GM Sean Marks said the deal with Houston was connected to the bigger one that sent Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for five first-round picks and a swap. That move made far more sense if the Nets had control of their immediate future first-rounders because they'd reap the draft-lottery benefits of tanking without Bridges.

Houston could have applied pressure from several angles, but the key point to note is that the Nets acted as if they had to swing the deal with Houston, while the Rockets would have been just fine holding onto the assets they already had from Brooklyn. That 2025 first-round swap could have wound up at No. 1 whether the Nets had Bridges or not.

Maybe the Rockets could have exploited that leverage and held the 2026 pick out of the deal. Or maybe they could have pushed for other sweeteners."

All told, the Rockets landed a 2025 first-round pick swap (Houston/Oklahoma City for Phoenix), in addition to the Phoenix Suns’ 2027 first-round pick, while also acquiring the rights to the two most favorable first-round picks in the 2029 NBA Draft between Dallas, Phoenix and Houston's own pick.

The Nets acquired their own 2025 and 2026 first-round draft picks once more.

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