While the Houston Rockets were linked with a trade pursuit of Mikal Bridges back in January, they were also seeking a way to convert some of their future picks into picks that stretch further out into the future.

During that trade discussion, the Rockets offered the Brooklyn Nets their own first round picks back to them in exchange for the picks from the Phoenix Suns.

The Nets declined that scenario as they were pursuing a spot in the playoffs last season.

The Rockets ultimately held onto Brooklyn's pick in the 2024 draft and it moved up in the lottery to No. 3. 

Houston could reach out to other teams with a similar stockpile of picks such as the Utah Jazz or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Rockets traded James Harden to the Nets in 2021 for unprotected first round picks in 2022, 2024 and 2026, along with pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. Brooklyn subsequently traded Kevin Durant to the Suns in 2023 for first round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, as well as a pick swap in 2028.

The Houston Rockets had some luck in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. The Rockets, who got their pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade in 2021, moved from the ninth overall pick to the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Now, Houston GM Rafael Stone is expected to shop the third pick in trade talks to bring in a veteran player. The Rockets signed several veteran free agents in the 2023 offseason. Those players helped Houston improve from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 wins in 2023-24.

In addition to adding the vets, the Rockets still have a good young core. That has Houston looking at options for more win-now help, as opposed to adding another young player to the core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith II, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.

The NBA held its 2024 draft lottery in Chicago on Sunday with the Atlanta Hawks winning the top overall pick. The Hawks entered the lottery with just a three percent chance of securing the top pick.