ESPN Ranks Rockets Ninth in Future Draft Assets

The four-letter network couldn't help but to give the Houston Rockets their credit.

Jun 24, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas and first round draft picks TyTy Washington Jr. and Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. and Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone pose for a picture during a press conference at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

For years, the Houston Rockets were almost a guarantee to trade away their draft picks. The Rockets were in title contention mode and utilized their draft capital as a way to improve the roster.

And when they weren't doing that, they were using their draft picks to free themselves from bad contracts. In fact, the Rockets didn't originally have any draft picks in 2019 and 2020 (although they bought a second-round pick in 2020 and selected Kenyon Martin Jr.).

Furthermore, the Rockets went five consecutive seasons without a first-round draft pick from 2016-2020.

Call it the Daryl Morey way.

The Rafael Stone-led front office has had quite a different operational style, as the franchise has made seven first-round selections in the last three years and finds itself loaded with more draft capital down the road. ESPN's Jeremy Woo rated the Rockets' future draft assets as ninth-best in the league, giving them a seven on a scale of 1-10.

"The Rockets would rank higher, but there are still pick obligations from the 2019 Chris Paul trade owed to Oklahoma City in the next two seasons. The Thunder have the right to swap firsts with Houston (top-10 protected) next year and also a top-4 protected first in 2025. The Rockets have an unprotected first from Brooklyn in 2026 and the right to swap firsts with the Nets in 2025 and 2027. Houston has five second-round picks available."

The Rockets were among four teams to receive a seven, joining the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Toronto Raptors. The eight teams that came in ahead of Houston are listed below:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (10/10)
2. Utah Jazz (10/10)
3. San Antonio Spurs (10/10)
4. New Orleans Pelicans (9/10)
5. New York Knicks (9/10)
6. Orlando Magic (8/10)
7. Brooklyn Nets (8/10)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (8/10)

The James Harden trade of 2021, which sent the franchise icon to the East Coast, can be attributed to the Rockets' draft assets, as they still have the Nets' unprotected first-round pick in this year's draft and the 2026 NBA Draft, along with pick swaps in two other years.

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