[BSPN] Ranking 5 NBA teams that hold most first-round draft picks

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...-round-draft-picks-trades-swaps-spurs-thunder

5. Houston Rockets
Key players traded: Harden and Eric Gordon
Players who are on Houston's roster from previously acquired picks: Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard

Incoming first-round picks (9):
-- Own first in 2025*, 2026 (if 1-4), 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031
-- Unprotected from Phoenix (2027)
-- Two most favorable of own, Dallas and Phoenix (2029)
-- Swap: More favorable of Phoenix (2025) and less favorable of own (if 11-30) and Oklahoma City then other to Brooklyn
-- Swap: Brooklyn (2027)

Tradable first-round picks: 4

Best value in first-round picks: 2027 Brooklyn swap and the two most favorable of own, Dallas and Phoenix in 2029

Least valuable first-round pick: 2025 swap with Phoenix

Second-round picks: 5
Outgoing first-round picks:
-- Swap: Top-10 protected with Oklahoma City (2025)
-- Top-4 protected to Oklahoma City (2026)

We are still many moons away from judging if Houston's trade with Brooklyn in late June was a smart move or a historic mistake.

The Rockets eliminated the right to swap firsts with Brooklyn in 2025 and sent back the 2026 first from the Nets. They still have the right to swap firsts with Brooklyn in 2027.

In return, the Rockets received four draft assets: the right to swap firsts with Phoenix in 2025; the Suns' 2027 unprotected first; the more favorable 2029 Dallas or Phoenix first; the right to swap their 2029 first with the less favorable of Dallas and Phoenix.

"It diversified our portfolio of picks going out, it pushed them out a little bit, which is really good for us," Rockets GM Rafael Stone said at the time. "We're a very young team right now, so pushing those picks out and having some draft picks a little further out, we think make sense."

The Rockets picked up two future unprotected firsts but possibly at the cost of landing projected 2025 No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg and projected 2026 top draft picks Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa.

Brooklyn finished last season with its worst record (32-50) since 2017-18 and sent Houston the No. 3 pick in the draft (as a result of the 2021 Harden trade), with which the Rockets drafted Sheppard.

The Rockets do not have the quantity of first-round picks that the four teams mentioned above have, and along with the Thunder, have a roster that can compete for a playoff spot this season.