Houston Rockets Receive: F Joe Harris, C Nic Claxton (Sign & Trade), 2028 First-Round Pick (BKN)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Christian Wood, G Eric Gordon
First, a caveat: Nic Claxton is a restricted free agent this summer. This deal only works if he accepts a deal worth something in the $10-15 million range. Moving on.
The Houston Rockets may be apprehensive to do anything to make the Brooklyn Nets stronger. After all, they own their draft from now until 2027. This move might be worth it.
The Rockets had the second-worst Defensive Rating in the NBA in 2021-22 (behind the Trail Blazers). Acquiring a potential defensive anchor in Claxton who fits their timeline is worth depreciating the value of those picks in the short term when they’ll probably hit peak value down the road anyway.
As for the Nets, they get their stretch big in Wood. Of course, he’s not nearly the defensive presence that Turner is. That’s unfortunate, but he’ll actually do even more to maximize Ben Ben SimSimmons offensively. His career 38.0% three-point percentage far exceeds Turner’s.
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Of course, both of the deals we’ve listed so far assume that Simmons is in the long-term plans for Brooklyn. What if he isn’t?
