2012 NBA Draft Order: How the Picks Have Changed in the Last 48 Hours

David DanielsJun 7, 2018

H-Town is trade-happy.

The Houston Rockets have rearranged the first round of the 2012 NBA draft order.

On Tuesday, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reported that the Rockets had struck a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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"
The Houston Rockets have traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for the #18 pick. Confirmed.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 26, 2012"

Now, unless the Rockets package the 18th pick with their other first-round selections to move up in the draft, they’ll most likely choose to just replace Chase Budinger.

Moe Harkless out of St. John’s should still be on the board at No. 18. At 6’9” with an explosive vertical, Harkless is as physically gifted as they come. According to Chad Ford of ESPN, one scout even called him a poor man’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Houston’s other trade was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

"
Houston has traded Sam Dalembert as part of a package to Milwaukee, league sources tell Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2012"

Wojnarowski went on to report that the Rockets had swapped their No. 14 pick with the Bucks’ 12th overall selection.

Houston was in desperate need for a center before the trade. Now, it's pretty much guaranteed to select Meyers Leonard or Tyler Zeller at No. 12—again, if the Rockets don’t package their picks for Dwight Howard or to trade up even further.

For the Bucks, their need for a starting center is less glaring after acquiring Samuel Dalembert.

With Ersan Ilyasova scheduled to become a free agent this offseason and Carlos Delfino being nothing but a mediocre starter, expect them to select the best forward available. That’ll most likely come down to Terrence Jones, Perry Jones or even Jared Sullinger.

Expect the pair of trades to be just the first of many that shuffles the draft order. And here’s how the order currently stands.