1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

What would your reaction be if Brooklyn lands the #1 pick/Cooper Flagg?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Mar 12, 2025.

?

I would __________ the Rockets trading back that pick to Brooklyn

  1. REGRET

    51 vote(s)
    30.4%
  2. NOT REGRET

    117 vote(s)
    69.6%
  1. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 1999
    Messages:
    22,893
    Likes Received:
    33,325
    No right or wrong answer here. This is just a simple gauge of fan reaction.

    The Rockets traded control of Brooklyn's 2025 unprotected first-round pick back to Brooklyn this past summer in a deal for control of Phoenix's future picks.

    If Brooklyn lands the #1 pick and is able to draft Cooper Flagg, what will your reaction be?

    On one hand, the Rockets controlled that pick for over three years and watched the Nets decline to a lottery team. Houston had that pick knowing Brooklyn was really bad the last 3/4th of the previous season.

    On the other hand, the butterfly effect. If Brooklyn didn't get their pick back, they may not trade Bridges. They got a new coach. They would be trying to win every game in a weaker Eastern Conference. There's no way of knowing exactly where they would have ended up in the lottery order.

    So what would your reaction be?
     
  2. Bobbythegreat

    Bobbythegreat Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2013
    Messages:
    67,698
    Likes Received:
    30,813
    Meh, Ime wouldn't play him anyway.
     
  3. sealclubber1016

    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2010
    Messages:
    21,044
    Likes Received:
    33,296
    No regret for this one in terms of the swap

    They keep Bridges and probably add other others and end up not one of the 5 or 6 worst team in the league. Without a reason to tank it's not too hard to build a mildly competitive roster. this was always a hedge on Phoenix imploding to create more draft/trade value long term, which I'm OK with.

    However, I still think Stone failed to maximize value when he knew he had Brooklyn over a barrel.
     
    Arnel and Little Bit like this.
  4. Plowman

    Plowman Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 1999
    Messages:
    12,896
    Likes Received:
    14,314
    I'm assuming SA and Dallas occupy those top 2 spots. As you said, the Nets would have tried to patch it together if they hadn't dealt Bridges.
    No regrets on my end, considering the PHX picks are golden...most likely giving us Booker, and if not...something better.
    Smart move on Stone's part...
     
    jch1911 likes this.
  5. xaos

    xaos Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2015
    Messages:
    6,463
    Likes Received:
    16,134
    No regret for the reasons you mentioned. My guess is they'd probably end up with about the same odds as the current Suns pick if they didn't trade away Bridges and other potential moves they would've made to "compete" before the inevitable
     
  6. TimDuncanDonaut

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Messages:
    14,824
    Likes Received:
    35,172
    No regret. I rolled 10x on Tankathon today. Couple times the PHX ended #1 :D
     
  7. duluth111222

    duluth111222 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2006
    Messages:
    3,799
    Likes Received:
    3,967
    You said it in the end. Without the pick they would not have traded Bridges and could potentially make the playoffs.

    In that case the Nets pick will be much worse than the Suns pick we have now. At least folks are having lots of fun tracking the pick right now.

    If we’re playing the what-if game, what if Suns do not make the playoffs and end up with the #1 pick?
     
    IvanLCPM likes this.
  8. xaos

    xaos Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2015
    Messages:
    6,463
    Likes Received:
    16,134
    As long as Spurs do not land the #1 pick I'd be OK LOL

    My hope is Rockets get #1 (1.5% chance, very high chance not going to happen)
    Philly lands in top 4 so OKC does not get their pick
    and Spurs do not move up
     
    AXG likes this.
  9. TX_Rocket

    TX_Rocket Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2024
    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    118
    Life is full of regrets. I will add another one to the list.
     
  10. a time to chill

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2012
    Messages:
    3,167
    Likes Received:
    5,934
    My reaction would be perfectly reasonable. It would be that we need to fire Stone.
     
    Imanimal likes this.
  11. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    26,807
    Likes Received:
    30,317
    I'd have regret in any scenario where the Rockets don't get the top pick. It's just the facts of the game.
     
    daywalker02 and J-Mac like this.
  12. Corrosion

    Corrosion Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    9,778
    Likes Received:
    12,766
    They never would have been a lottery team if Stone didn't make that deal, they'd have tried to win and probably went ~.500ish in a weak Eastern conference.

    No regertz.
     
  13. ElPigto

    ElPigto Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2006
    Messages:
    15,818
    Likes Received:
    25,270
    No regrets at all. The Nets were likely going to attempt to be competitive this year knowing they didn't have a damn reason to be terrible. Looking at 7 - 10 spots in the east, they likely could of made the play-in only to get bounced, but I definitely had no faith that we would of had much better odds with them not having anything to lose for.
     
    Williamson and jch1911 like this.
  14. carl_herrera

    carl_herrera Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2023
    Messages:
    636
    Likes Received:
    1,710
    If this bothers someone, respectfully I think they have some challenges with critical thinking.

    It would have zero relationship to the counterfactual - what would've happened if we hadn't made the trade. Brooklyn is tanking because of the trade.
     
  15. Nook

    Nook Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2008
    Messages:
    58,738
    Likes Received:
    128,018
    I didn't like the trade of the Nets picks for the Suns picks because there was no way that the Nets were passing up the haul they got for Bridges. They would have done that either way - the sunk cost fallacy in full display.

    Having said that - I understand the logic behind why the Rockets did the deal, and believe it is also possible down the line that the Suns pick could be high lottery as well.

    So - I will be upset - but it really falls into the "whatever" bin because we are just dealing in percentages anyway, and it is possible the Nets end up at #4-5 and get a player that would be #8 in most drafts.

    I will say that having a 20% chance at Flagg or Harper would be really nice.
     
  16. NIKEstrad

    NIKEstrad Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2000
    Messages:
    10,134
    Likes Received:
    3,984
    Butterfly effect for me. If we hadn’t made the trade, they would’ve almost certainly ended up with a different record.

    I was reflecting on Stone’s pick maneuvering — and so far it has been incredibly fortunate. 2 of the 4 picks given to OKC in the Chris Paul trade will end up not conveying (the Jalen Green draft and this year’s swap). The other two were a late lotto pick in a weak draft and next year’s first — which should likely end up in the 20s.

    We ended up getting a protected first from the Wizards back in the Westbrook trade, which was one of the two we used to get Sengun from OKC— and it looks like it won’t actually convey (and neither will the other). So the net impact of what seemed like a disastrous Paul trade was effectively a late lotto and a late first for Sengun.

    Compare that to the picks in the Harden trade that have already yielded Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, with another pick swap and the Suns assets still to come.

    Right now, it looks like the swap of 2025 picks from Brooklyn to Phoenix will be about a 5 or so pick difference. Not bad to pick up two more picks with lotto potential that should have value to a team that will have to turn seller in the next couple years.

    Edited to add — I didn’t love the deal at the time because I didn’t see this Phoenix implosion as high probability. I thought this year’s pick swap would be out of the money or marginal at best. It certainly looks better with hindsight.
     
    #16 NIKEstrad, Mar 12, 2025
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2025
  17. Houston77

    Houston77 COOKIES AND CAKE, MY TEAM BAKED!
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2018
    Messages:
    7,286
    Likes Received:
    18,437
    Wouldn’t regret, because it’s a futile exercise. The Nets obviously would have made different moves absent their trade with us. Even had they still made the Bridges trade, they likely would have used those assets to improve, and wouldn’t have traded DFS, Dennis S., etc. I think they easily could have made the play-in at a minimum this season with a few buyer moves.
     
  18. BamBam

    BamBam Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2003
    Messages:
    9,740
    Likes Received:
    10,065
    [​IMG]



    Go Rockets!!!
    .......
    .......
    .......
     
    Nook likes this.
  19. BigMaloe

    BigMaloe Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2012
    Messages:
    14,694
    Likes Received:
    17,000
    No regerts, not even a letter.
     
    sirjesse likes this.
  20. coachbadlee

    coachbadlee Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2010
    Messages:
    29,465
    Likes Received:
    9,891
    LMMFAO!!
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now