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Future Houston Rockets draft assets, protections through 2028
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
January 28, 2022 1:29 pm CT
As part of a clear rebuilding plan, the Rockets have accumulated one of the NBA's largest stockpiles of draft considerations over the next seven years. Trades of prominent veteran players, including James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington, allowed Houston general manager Rafael Stone to quickly gain draft assets.
The process of turning those assets into players began in 2021, when the Rockets added four first-round picks to the roster: Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher.
But in 2022, the process is far from complete. With one of the league's worst records, the Rockets are poised to secure another high draft pick in 2022, and they have assets from other teams — namely, Brooklyn — on the way, as well. Any trade deadline moves involving veterans such as Eric Gordon and Christian Wood could add to the stockpile.
Many of these picks will provide a further infusion of youth to Houston's roster, while some could tely become valuable trade commodities as the Rockets pursue trades for more established players. On the other hand, Houston still owes draft capital to Oklahoma City in 2024, 2025 and 2026 from the ill-fated trade involving Westbrook and Chris Paul.
Through 2028, here's a year-by-year list of the Rockets' draft picks, as of January 2022. (The 2028 cutoff date is because NBA teams are only allowed to trade draft picks for the next seven years.)
Houston first-round pick
First-round selection from Brooklyn OR Miami (top-14 protected), whichever is higher
Houston OR Brooklyn first-round pick, whichever is higher
Milwaukee first-round selection
Brooklyn first-round pick
Houston second-round selection
Brooklyn second-round selection
Golden State second-round pick, protected for selections 56-60 (anything higher and it conveys)
First-round pick from Houston, Oklahoma City, OR Brooklyn (Oklahoma City can swap its 2025 first for Houston's first-round pick, top-10 protected; after that is decided, Houston can swap whatever pick it has for Brooklyn's selection, if desired)
Any of the above picks that does not contain a reference to protections or pick-swap rights is fully owned by the Rockets for that year.
When considering hypothetical trades, remember the NBA's Stepien rule, which prevents teams from being without a first-round selection in consecutive future drafts. However, Houston is set up quite well to avoid that conundrum, since they have at least one first-round pick in each of the next seven years — and in multiple seasons, they have two.
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