HOUSTON – The clock is officially ticking down towards Wednesday’s NBA draft and finally, the Rockets will have a draft pick after being left out the last three years.
Houston’s list of issues continues to grow but first, they got some business done Monday night by finalizing a deal to send forward Robert Covington to the Portland Trail Blazers for Trevor Ariza and future first-round picks. The initial pick will come on Wednesday when the Rockets use the Blazers slot at #16 overall. The other pick acquired will be a first-round protected pick in 2021.
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Once the deal is official, it will mark Ariza’s third stint in Houston. He played for the Rockets in 2009 and then returned from 2014 through the 2017 seasons.
Meanwhile, the future of James Harden continues to earn national headlines. KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy confirmed that the Rockets offered Harden a two-year extension worth $103 million, but Harden quickly turned it down.
Harden, who arrived in Houston in a trade with Oklahoma City in 2012, has made it known to team officials that he wants to be traded to a team where he has a chance to win a title. That team, according to sources, is the Brooklyn Nets, where he would be paired alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
