The Brooklyn Nets have made various moves over the past couple of seasons to put themselves in the position they’re in with their rebuild. Brooklyn has had to make some interesting trades along the way as they seek to fill the team with young players, but there is a possibility that one of their trade partners came out better than they did.

“We have to address the Houston trade from last offseason. I was very, very wrong about that deal. At least for now, Houston won it convincingly,” Sam Quinn wrote for CBS Sports earlier this offseason. Quinn was referring to the trade between the Nets the Rockets in which both teams exchanged various draft picks.

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“The Nets only gained two draft slots in 2025 by regaining control of their own pick, and since Demin was seemingly overdrafted, they likely could have just gotten him with Phoenix’s No. 10 pick if they hadn’t made the deal,” Quinn continued. “Now everything rests on their 2026 pick. If that pick jumps into the top three and nets them a franchise player, it was worth it. If not? They gave away several Phoenix picks, among the most valuable in the entire NBA, for a minuscule return that they themselves failed to maximize.”

The Nets acquired their 2025 first-round pick (negating a previously agreed to swap) along with their 2026 first-round pick from the Rockets in the aforementioned deal. In return, Houston received the right to swap their own 2025 first-round pick or the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 2025 first-round pick for the Phoenix Suns‘ 2025 first-round pick.

In addition to what Brooklyn gave up in 2025, they also gave the Rockets the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick along with the rights to the two most favorable of the Dallas Mavericks, Suns’ and Rockets’ first-round picks in 2029. As Quinn pointed out, the Nets may have made a gamble that so far has not worked out in their favor because they could be giving up valuable picks in 2027 and 2029.

More to the point, Brooklyn received the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as a result of the trade and they used that pick on BYU guard Egor Demin. However, with players like Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer expected to lead the 2026 class, the Nets will have to hope luck is on their side after their deal with the Rockets.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Did the Nets make a mistake with their trades with the Rockets?