More Details On Draft Picks Traded From Rockets To Thunder

Five days after agreeing to terms on the blockbuster trade that sends Russell Westbrook to Houston and Chris Paul to Oklahoma City, the Rockets and Thunder officially completed that deal on Tuesday night. Now that the trade has been finalized, we know exactly what the language looks like on the draft picks – and swaps – sent from Houston to OKC in the agreement.

Via ClutchFans (Twitter link) and Keith Smith of RealGM (Twitter links), here are the details on the draft assets the Thunder acquired in the deal:

• Rockets’ 2024 first-round pick (top-four protected)
  • If this pick falls in its protected range, the Thunder will instead receive Houston’s 2024 and 2025 second-round picks.
• Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected)
  • If this pick falls in its protected range, the Thunder will instead receive Houston’s 2026 second-round pick and $1MM in cash.
  • While that $1MM is conditional, it technically must count toward the Rockets’ traded-cash limit for the 2019/20 league year, notes David Weiner of ClutchFans (via Twitter).
• The right to swap first-round picks with the Rockets in 2021 (top-four protected)
  • Since the Thunder also own the Heat’s unprotected 2021 first-round pick, Houston will receive the least favorable of those three first-rounders, while the Thunder will receive the two most favorable picks (unless the Rockets’ pick falls in the top four).
• The right to swap first-round picks with the Rockets in 2025 (top-10 protected)
  • This pick swap was originally reported as top-20 protected, but ClutchFans and Smith both indicate that the protection is actually 1-10, meaning it could still end up being a lottery pick.
  • The Thunder also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Clippers in this draft, so they won’t necessarily swap with Houston even if the Rockets’ pick falls outside the top 10 and is more favorable than Oklahoma City’s pick. For instance, if the Clippers’ pick is No. 12, the Rockets’ is 15, and the Thunder’s is 20, OKC would swap with L.A. and Houston would remain at 15.