Chris Paul–Russell Westbrook Trade Still Haunts the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets’ rebuilding days are long behind them, yet the ripple effects of past trades continue to shape their future. The team still holds valuable assets from the 2021 James Harden trade with the Brooklyn Nets, which yielded the Phoenix Suns' first-round selections in 2027 and 2029.
However, one draft pick remains a bitter reminder of missteps. Their 2026 first-round pick is set to go to the Oklahoma City Thunder unless it lands in the top four—a scenario that would spell a disastrous season for Houston. This obligation stems from the 2019 trade that sent Chris Paul to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
In that deal, Houston included its 2024 and 2026 first-round picks plus swaps in 2021 and 2025. The gamble brought just one season from Westbrook, with both teams finishing at 44–28 before clashing in a fiercely contested seven-game playoff series.
"In July 2019, the Rockets were clinging to fading hopes of making a championship run with James Harden and tried this deal out of desperation. It effectively flatlined those dreams for good and shifted everything for the franchise. Westbrook was always a strange choice to slot alongside Harden."
Bleacher Report identified the 2019 trade as one that continues to “haunt” the Rockets years later, symbolizing a desperate move that undermined the team’s long-term outlook.
Author’s Summary
The 2019 trade sending Chris Paul to Oklahoma City for Russell Westbrook remains one of Houston’s most regrettable moves, still echoing in the team’s draft and legacy years later.