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[Saba Sports News] On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets finalized a trade focused exclusively on draft picks, raising questions about whether this could advance the Rockets’ efforts to acquire Kevin Durant.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Houston acquired rights to the Phoenix Suns’ first-round picks for 2025, 2027, and 2029, picks that came under the Nets’ control when they traded Durant to Phoenix last offseason.
In this deal, the Nets received back their 2026 first-round pick and convinced the Rockets to give up their swap rights on Brooklyn’s 2025 first-round pick—rights Houston had obtained when they traded James Harden to Brooklyn in 2021. Additionally, Wojnarowski noted that the Rockets aim to trade for Durant, and securing the Suns’ picks strengthens their position to make a compelling offer.
Wojnarowski also mentioned that while the Suns plan to compete with their current roster next season, their strategy might shift as the year unfolds. Meanwhile, the Nets’ retrieval of their 2025 first-round pick could strategically position them for a rebuild, eyeing a high draft pick and the chance to select standout Duke prospect Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Nets GM Sean Marks was notably busy, also managing a major trade with the New York Knicks the same day.