Chris Paul–Russell Westbrook Trade Still Haunts Rockets
The Houston Rockets’ rebuilding phase ended long ago, yet one particular trade continues to shadow the franchise. Despite holding valuable future assets from the James Harden deal with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, including the Phoenix Suns' 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, Houston remains burdened by an earlier decision.
The team’s 2026 first-round pick, unless it falls within the top four, will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This outcome stems from the 2019 trade that sent Chris Paul to Oklahoma City in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The Rockets also included their 2024 and 2026 first-round picks, plus pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.
Westbrook lasted just one season with Houston, while Paul led the Thunder to the same 44–28 record. Both teams met in the playoffs, battling through a grueling seven-game series that underscored how evenly matched they had become.
“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.”
This assessment by Bleacher Report captures the lingering regret surrounding the trade, which remains a defining moment in Houston’s recent history.
Author’s Summary
The Russell Westbrook–Chris Paul trade reshaped Houston’s trajectory; years later, it still serves as a painful reminder of misjudged ambition and lost opportunity.