The Houston Rockets made the most significant move of the NBA offseason, receiving Kevin Durant in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five future second-round picks. This massive deal left the Rockets with no picks in this year's draft. There are rumors that the Rockets are still looking to get back into the draft, but how they do it might be limited.

As part of the blockbuster trade, not only did the Rockets include their first-round pick from this year's draft, but one of the second-round picks was the 59th pick, leaving their cupboard bare, draft-wise. The Stein Line's Jake Fischer reported that the Rockets are actively trying to get back into the draft, most likely in the latter part of the first round.

Fischer elaborated on how the Rockets might be thinking when he said, “There is an anticipation, mind you, that the Rockets will be actively exploring pathways to get back into the draft … and perhaps in the latter half of the first round on top of their natural inclination to explore acquiring second-rounders to help fill the back of the roster.”

The Rockets are in win-now mode and went all-in with this massive trade for Durant. The two most significant pieces they had to part with were the 10th pick in the draft and Jalen Green, a very talented young player who was seemingly coming into his own after a breakout season this past year.

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Green scored 21 points on a 42.3% field goal percentage, shooting 35.4% from behind the arc. He is expected to be an instant contributor for the Suns as Phoenix also tries to reshape its roster and get back into contention.

The 2025 NBA Draft is loaded at the top thanks to Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, but as the draft goes on, the talent evens out more and is not considered as elite in comparison. Still, if you're in Houston, your goal is young talent, and you need to fill the roster around Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Fred VanVleet, and it does not matter if it comes from later in the first round or the second round.

This trade was the best possible outcome for both teams. Phoenix got roster and draft flexibility, and Houston got the best player available to win now. It remains to be seen how Houston handles the draft, but it's clear that they are angling to get involved in some fashion and stay aggressive after this trade.