Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G/F Eric Gordon, F/C Christian Wood, 2023 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2023 First-Round Pick (MIL), 2024 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2025 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2027 First-Round Pick (HOU)

Houston Rockets Receive: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

This deal allows the Houston Rockets to keep their 2022 first-round pick. It’s a good thing because this organization will be low on draft capital following the completion of this deal.

We mentioned the protections on the picks the Rockets have outgoing to the Thunder in 2024 and 2025. This deal removes them. The Thunder now own the Rockets’ selections in both years outright.

Of course, that’s likely to mean less with Gilgeous-Alexander on the Rockets. With this trade, the Rockets signal the end of their rebuild ahead of schedule. They’ll be solely interested in winning games from next season onward.

The Thunder will be making a gamble that, in at least one season between now and 2027 (besides 2026) they’ll fail in that endeavor. On the other hand, that gamble may prove too costly for them to accept this deal. Meanwhile, the Rockets may balk at moving so much draft capital at this stage in their rebuild.

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If either side is too apprehensive about this trade, perhaps the involvement of a third team could alleviate each of their concerns.