CBS Sports Says Rockets Have Best Future Draft Capital

From a historical standpoint, the Houston Rockets have always been active on the trade front, regardless of who's been at the helm. Whether it be Carroll Dawson, whether it be Daryl Morey, or whether it be Rafael Stone, all of them have been unafraid to swing big.

If there's a deal to be made, the Rockets are usually pulling the trigger. 

Draft picks change hands left and right, especially if it leads to a superstar addition. Stone's reign has been a bit different, however, as he's stockpiled draft picks for the future.

This is partly due to the state of the franchise when he first took the reigns from Morey. The Rockets were one of the league's oldest teams in the 2019-20 season and were bereft of draft picks.

Morey's mindset was to go all-in if in contention mode, so the supply of draft capital was typically bare. Stone and the Rockets needed to rebuild after seeing the James Harden era not produce a championship. 

Harden was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets, landing Houston a treasure trove of draft picks. Some of them have been used to build a title contender, as Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard were by-products of the deal.

Others have been used to add future picks, as in the case of the 2024 deal between Houston and the Brooklyn Nets, in which Stone and the Rockets' brass shipped Brooklyn's own 2025, 2026, and 2029 first-round picks in exchange for the Phoenix Suns' 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks.

But just how valuable are those future picks? CBS Sports' Sam Quinn ranked the 63 future draft-picks that have changed hands by way of trades around the league and several of the Rockets' picks ranked quite favorably, as outlined below.

• 3. 2029 Phoenix Suns first-round pick
• 5. 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick 
• 7. 2027 Brooklyn Nets first-round pick
• 28. 2029 Dallas Mavericks first-round pick

Quinn's overarching takeaway is that the Rockets have compiled the best cupboard of draft capital around the league. 

"There's no debate anymore. Houston has the best collection of future draft assets. The Rockets control the No. 3, No. 5, No. 7 and No. 28 picks on this list. The Spurs can compete with them in a player-centric bidding war with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle in place, but when it comes to draft ammunition, the Rockets can top anyone. They can also just sit tight and use those picks. Either way, Houston remains in a stellar long-term position."