Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook Trade Cited as 'Haunting Deal' for Rockets

Chris Paul–Russell Westbrook Trade Cited as a 'Haunting Deal' for Rockets

The Houston Rockets have long since moved past their rebuilding phase. Few even bring it up anymore. Still, the team retains a cache of valuable draft assets, thanks largely to the 2021 trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Those deals translated into the Phoenix Suns' 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.

However, their 2026 first-round pick is set to go to the Oklahoma City Thunder—unless it lands in the top four. Such an outcome would indicate a major setback for Houston. This looming loss ties back to the 2019 trade that shipped Chris Paul and multiple future picks, including first-rounders in 2024 and 2026 and swap rights in 2021 and 2025, to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook spent only one season in Houston, while Paul’s Thunder posted the same 44–28 record. The two teams even squared off in the postseason, with their matchup stretching to a grueling seven-game showdown.

“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.”

Retrospective on the Trade’s Impact

Years later, Bleacher Report has characterized that 2019 move as the deal that continues to haunt the Rockets in 2025, reshaping the direction and future assets of the franchise.

Author’s summary: The 2019 Westbrook-for-Paul trade still casts a long shadow over Houston, burdening the team with lost draft picks and unrealized championship aspirations.

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Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated — 2025-11-01

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