The Houston Rockets enter the 2024 NBA Draft with the No. 3 overall pick thanks to the James Harden trade back in 2021. Now, the Rockets may turn around and trade this pick as well in order to get an established veteran instead of yet another developmental youngster. If general manager Rafael Stone decides to go in this direction, here are the two best Rockets trades using the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft.
Rockets make the Kevin Durant trade everyone is talking about
Reports that the Rockets wanted to use the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to trade for a superstar like Kevin Durant have been circulating for weeks now. Most thought this was a pipedream for Houston or simply blog fodder during the dog days between the NBA Finals in the draft.
However, on the eve of the draft, the Rockets made a fascinating trade with the Brooklyn Nets, returning the rest of their picks from the Harden trade and taking back the Phoenix Suns’ picks that resided in Brooklyn after the last Durant trade.
This opens the door for the Rockets to put together a package where the Suns get their picks back, giving them the ability to tank if they want following the ill-advised team-up of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
With the Rockets’ No. 3 pick, the Suns' picks and swaps, and several other future selections, Houston now has the draft capital to get a Durant deal done. The key holdup here — if the Suns are willing — would be which rostered players they would want.
There is almost no world where this deal would go down without the Rockets giving up at least one and maybe even two of their under-22 core.
So, would Stone be willing to part with one or two of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson? That’s a question we will learn the answer to on draft night.
The No. 3 selection for Jimmy Butler?
If Kevin Durant is off the table, the Rockets could turn their attention to another star on the other side of the country.
Rumors of the Miami Heat exploring a Jimmy Butler trade are growing in volume as the 2024 NBA Draft approaches. The 34-year-old star reportedly wants a two-year, $113 million extension, according to multiple outlets, and the Heat are generally reticent to pay aging players — even one like Dwyane Wade back in the day — that type of money.
Two seasons of Butler is a nice consolation prize for the Rockets if — and only if — they get assurances that the star vet is willing to come to a young team and be a leader.
Butler has famously balked at this role in the past, griping and sulking his way out of Minnesota and Philadelphia after clashing with young duos like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
If Butler is willing, the good news here is that the Rockets will shave to give up less, both in terms of draft capital and players, to get Butler. That said, Pat Riley notoriously drives a hard bargain and this deal may cost the Rockets one of their big four prospects as well.
The ideal Rockets-Jimmy Butler involves just picks and veterans with the Rockets keeping all their young stars. If Stone can get a deal like this through, it could help the team immensely.
And if neither of these trades happens, keep an eye on the New Orleans Pelicans with Brandon Ingram or smaller deals with the Milwaukee Bucks for Brook Lopez or the Memphis Grizzlies for Marcus Smart.
In those last two instances, the Rockets may be able to make a deal without giving up the No. 3 pick in this NBA draft.
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