- James Harden won an MVP award with the Houston Rockets in 2018.
- Clyde Drexler helped the Rockets win a championship in 1995.
- Moses Malone earned two MVP awards while playing in Houston.
The Houston Rockets have made many moves to improve their chances of winning, thus helping them boast short championship basketball odds at a sportsbook.
The Rockets made good on their short NBA championship odds in 1994 and 1995, as one of these trades helped them reach the finish line in the second year.
With that said, what are the seven biggest trades in Rockets history? Let’s find out.
7 Biggest Houston Rockets Trades in Team History
1. Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, Two First-Round Picks, and Second-Round Pick for James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward
This trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in October 2012 was a straight-up robbery for the Rockets.
James Harden became one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history in Houston, as he had a 32-game stretch in which he scored at least 30 points during the 2018-19 season.
The Beard won MVP in 2018 and helped the Rockets get to the Western Conference finals twice.
Harden was later traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, forming a dynamic trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
2. Otis Thorpe, Marcelo Nicola, First-Round Pick for Clyde Drexler, Tracy Murray
Clyde Drexler is most known for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers, but the Rockets acquired the Houston native in February 1995 to give them the final piece they needed to repeat as champions.
Drexler averaged 20.5 points on 48.1% shooting, seven rebounds, five assists, and 1.5 steals during that playoff run.
3. Two First-Round Picks for Moses Malone
Moses Malone was traded from the Buffalo Braves in 1976, as he won two of his three MVP awards with the Rockets.
He helped the Rockets get to the NBA Finals in 1981 before falling to the Boston Celtics in six games.
Malone was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1982, immediately helping them win a championship alongside Julius Erving.
4. Kelvin Cato, Steve Francis, and Cuttino Mobley for Tracy McGrady, Reece Gaines, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue
The Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady fresh off back-to-back scoring titles from the Orlando Magic in 2004, and he didn’t miss a beat.
McGrady’s most iconic moment came during his first season in Houston, as he scored 13 points in 35 seconds to rally the Rockets back from down eight points, edging the San Antonio Spurs 81-80 on Dec. 9, 2004.
5. Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Sam Cassell, and Robert Horry for Charles Barkley and Second-Round Pick
The Rockets formed a Big 3 with Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Drexler, but only got as far as the Western Conference finals in 1997 before falling to the Utah Jazz in six games.
Scottie Pippen joined Barkley and Olajuwon in 1998 after Drexler retired.
6. Jack Martin, Future Considerations for Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes had a strong first four seasons with the Rockets before departing for the present-day Washington Wizards in 1972.
He helped them win a championship in 1978 before returning to Houston for a second stint in 1981.
7. Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, DeAndre Liggins, Darrun Hilliard, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Wiltjer, First-Round Pick, and Cash for Chris Paul
Chris Paul gave Harden the backcourt teammate he needed to help Houston reestablish itself as a championship contender following this trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017.
The Rockets could’ve gotten to the 2018 NBA Finals if CP3 wasn’t forced to miss the last two games of that series with a bum hamstring.
Paul was traded to the Thunder in 2019 to reunite Russell Westbrook with Harden for one season.
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