TRADE ALERT!

Houston Rockets make headlines with surprising Nets trade

Houston Rockets make headlines with surprising Nets trade
Rockets GM Rafael Stone is wheeling and dealing. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Houston Rockets made a trade with the Brooklyn Nets to send the Nets' 2026 first-round pick back to Brooklyn. In exchange, the Rockets receive the Suns' 2027 first-round pick, a pick swap with the Suns in 2025, and could end up with the Suns' pick in 2029.

Sound confusing yet? Woj is also reporting that the Rockets have/had interest in using the Suns' picks to acquire Kevin Durant or Devin Booker down the road, should the Suns decide to rebuild.

Hopefully, this will clear things up. Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic:

The Rockets are now essentially in control of the Suns’ 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, still have the Nets’ 2027 first (in addition to their own 2027 first) and have the right to choose the more favorable 2029 first-round pick between Dallasand Phoenix, a team source confirmed. In 2028 and 2029, Houston also has its own first-round pick.


Woj discusses the deal further in the video below. The Rockets' conversation starts at the 4:20 mark.

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The Rockets beat the Mavericks, 133-96. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Tari Eason scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an easy 133-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks Friday night.

Jalen Green added 23 points with nine rebounds, despite sitting the entire fourth quarter to help the Rockets to their fifth straight win, tying their longest such streak of the season.

Houston led by double digits most of the night and was up by 16 in the third quarter before scoring the next seven points, with a 3 from Eason, to make it 80-57 midway through the quarter.

The Rockets were up by 21 later in the third before using a 10-0 run to push the lead to 96-65 near the end of the period, and most of their starters didn't play in the fourth.

Brandon Williams scored 25 points off the bench for the Mavericks as they lost for the seventh time in eight games. Klay Thompson was 2 of 16 for five points with nine rebounds.

Takeaways

Mavericks: Dallas continues to struggle with most of its top players out with injuries and lost another one Friday with coach Jason Kidd saying that Dante Exum sustained a broken left hand that will likely end his season.

Rockets: Houston has taken advantage of a schedule with six straight home games, going 4-0 so far on the homestand as it tries to climb the Western Conference standings.

Key moment

Houston was in control of the game from the start but put it out of reach with its 37-point third quarter.

Key stat

The Rockets had 29 second-chance points to just two by Dallas on a night Houston had a 17-6 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Up next

Houston hosts Chicago on Saturday night and Dallas hosts Philadelphia on Sunday.

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