League's Tanking Changes Could Benefit Houston Rockets

The NBA has had a tanking problem for quite some time. Teams have learned how to master the art of blowing it all up and starting over, by way of stockpiling young assets through the draft.

Team-controlled assets, that is, as their first contracts in the NBA are mandated for at least four years. After that, the team has the ability to offer an additional two years, by way of team options.

In exchange for a player they likely wouldn't be able to fetch on the open market, if they were a free agent. Not a bad proposition. Not even in the slightest.

Sometimes it's necessary to start over. The Houston Rockets are a good example in recent years. After nearly a decade of being led by James Harden and whichever supporting co-star the Rockets supplied Harden with, it was time to hit the kill switch. Granted, the Rockets gave Harden Hall of Fame caliber players who are easily some of the best ever at their respective positions, in Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

And Harden had a say in the acquisitions, which made the Rockets' eventual rebuild a self-inflicted one, as they went all in to appease a player who ultimately exercised his rightful power to abort the mission and franchise. What followed was losing.

A lot of it. And the Rockets were forced to pray that their own draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder by way of the Westbrook trade didn't convey. While also hoping the picks in the Brooklyn Nets trade for Harden himself amounted to anything.

What followed was Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard. With that embarrassment of riches on their hands, the Rockets realized the ability to sacrifice Whitmore, in addition to Green.

The Rockets then sent the Nets back their own original first round draft picks in 2025 and 2026, in exchange for a 2025 pick swap, between Houston, Oklahoma City and Phoenix. The Rockets also got back the Phoenix Suns' 2027 first-round draft pick, along with the rights to the two most favorable picks between Houston, Phoenix and Dallas in 2029.

Many questioned why the Rockets would make such a move, but they were motivated by the Nets' lack of incentive to tank, without controlling their own fate and landing their own draft picks. USA Today's Ben DuBose explained.

"The thinking that went into it....the Rockets wanted to err on the side of quantity because those two Nets picks that they had in 2025 and 2026, they were not convinced that the Nets would be truly bottom-three, bottom-four in the league bad, if they didn't have an incentive to tank. Which they wouldn't have if they hadn't gotten their picks back."

DuBose continued.

"Their view has always been let's have more bites at the apple unless we feel extremely convinced that this one pick will be the ticket."

Because of this conundrum, the Rockets are in favor of the league's desire to implement tanking rules, which has been on the docket of league commissioner Adam Silver.

"I was talking to someone inside the building earlier in the week and to no surprise, they think that this will be beneficial to them."

The league is weighing three different proposals, which are all aimed at expanding the draft lottery.