Inside the bizarre series of Rockets trades that turned Clint Capela into Alperen Sengun

Even though the Houston Rockets fell short of making the 2024 NBA playoffs despite the improved play of Jalen Green and the arrival of veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, the team's future is trending upward. The Rockets are well-coached and have a lot of depth to their roster. But their success ultimately hinges on Alperen Sengun.  

While it's clear the Rockets got a steal landing him as the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, it actually took a series of complex trades to get him. And all of it all starts with Clint Capela. 

How the Rockets turned Clint Capela into Alperen Sengun

After six seasons with the Rockets, Clint Capela's tenure with the team came to an end in 2020. He was a pivotal player during their championship window with James Harden. However, once that window closed, the team decided to slowly embrace a full rebuild.

In a massive four-team trade before the 2020 trade deadline, the Rockets received Robert Covington and Jordan Bell for Capela. A day later, Bell was traded for Bruno Caboclo who was eventually waived.

As for Covington, he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers the following season. In return, the Rockets acquired Trevor Ariza, a first-round pick (Usman Garuba), and the rights to Isaiah Stewart. Two days later, the team sent both Ariza and Stewart to the Detroit Pistons, along with a future second-round pick, and cash considerations in exchange for Christian Wood, a protected future first-round pick, and a second-round pick in 2021.

Seeing that Wood wasn't the franchise center they had hoped for, they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for multiple role players (who all eventually got waived except for Boban Marjanović) and a first-round pick. Fast forward to the 2021 draft, the Mavs pick and the first-round pick from the Wood deal were used to acquire the 16th pick, making way for them to acquire Sengun. 

What is the aftermath of the Capela trade four years later?

This series of moves transformed the Rockets' assets from Capela into a promising future. It landed them Garuba, three future second-round picks, and of course, Alperen Sengun. The Rockets' trading saga illustrates just how difficult it can be to be an NBA GM. It's a blend of strategic planning, opportunistic decision-making, and honestly, a bit of luck.