5 Houston Rockets Trades That Nearly Happened at the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline

As is seemingly the case every year, the Rockets were among the most active teams at the NBA trade deadline in 2011. In addition to a deal they made for Terrence Williams in December, the Rockets made two significant deals just minutes before the deadline—first moving Shane Battier for Hasheem Thabeet and a 2012 first-round pick and later trading Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic and a 2011 first-round pick. 

Despite the moves that Rockets executive Daryl Morey orchestrated, some fans were left hoping for more. After the buildup to the deadline that included the Rockets' well-publicized pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, many were disappointed that the Rockets didn't make more of a splash.

While Morey has built a fairly solid reputation as a smart general manager, he has often been criticized for his inability to make the blockbuster deal when he's had the chance. He's failed in pursuits of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire and others, and some are starting to label him as someone afraid to pull the trigger on the big deals.

Looking back at the deadline, was Morey right to hold off on a number of moves? Read on to find out. 

Courtney Lee to the Bulls

From the beginning of the trade season, there was one player on the Rockets' roster mentioned more than any other: Courtney Lee. With his two-way skills and attractive contract, Lee drew interest from a number of shooting guard-deprived squads, most notably the Bulls.

After months of negotiating, the Rockets ended up backing out of the talks, holding onto Lee and playing him heavy minutes after the trade of Shane Battier. 

From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: 

"

The Chicago Bulls are still pursuing shooting guard Courtney Lee, offering a first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets, sources said.

Chicago could make the offer more intriguing with the addition of the Miami Heat’s 2011 first-round pick that the Bulls acquired from Toronto for forward James Johnson on Tuesday. For now, the Rockets are determined to bring back size and want Bulls center Omer Asik in any package for Lee.

The Bulls are determined to find a shooting guard before Thursday’s deadline.

"

Should the Rockets have made this deal?

Though the Rockets were reportedly lusting after intriguing center, Omer Asik, the Bulls' insistence on just moving draft picks for Lee makes the reported offer laughable to the Rockets. Garnering one or two late first rounders in a horrible draft has no value compared to that of a 25-year-old, sweet shooting two guard with plus defensive skills.

Had the Rockets been able to get Asik in the process, the deal would've been worth making. However, given the Bulls' reluctance to include him, they were right to pass up the deal.

Kevin Martin to the Magic

Unlike other deals where the negotiations were much further along, this deal appears to have just been an offer on the part of the Magic and a quick rejection from the Rockets. After Yao had gone down earlier in the year, the Rockets were searching for a center to fill the void in the middle that was currently filled by Chuck Hayes.

Names such as Brendan Haywood were bandied around, but the most intriguing name that was connected to the Rockets was Marcin Gortat, Dwight Howard's backup at the time.

Gortat was eventually sent with Mickael Pietrus, Vince Carter and a first-round pick in a package deal that netted the Magic Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark.

From Mike Fisher of Scout.com:

"

When Orlando was shopping Marcin Gortat around, the Magic hoped for Martin in exchange. Houston wouldn’t bite…so Gortat goes to Phoenix and the Rockets are looking for something superior to The Polish Hammer.

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Should the Rockets have made this deal?

Unlike other potential trades that were somewhat minor, this deal would've been a veritable blockbuster. Kevin Martin, the second highest scorer in the league (on a per-minute basis) and the Rockets' offensive leader, would be moved for a backup center. While that seems laughable, the Rockets should have taken a second look at this deal, especially if they could have pried some more interesting pieces from the Magic. 

A deal along the lines of Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter (and his expiring contract) and Ryan Anderson for Martin, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and Brad Miller would've both injected youth into the front court and free up major money moving forward. The Rockets would've missed Martin and his potent scoring, but they might have been just as effective with Courtney Lee and his stronger defensive skills taking more minutes at shooting guard. 

Meanwhile, Gortat, who flourished in extended minutes at center for the Suns, would have given the Rockets a long-term option at center, something they've lacked for years.

Carter would have been an intriguing veteran to take a flier on as he could have given the Rockets some value on the court mixed in with his mailed-in games. Additionally, at the end of the lockout, Carter and his non-guaranteed contract would have become a tremendous trade chip. 

The move would've been a gutsy one and would've required a lot faith in Courtney Lee, but it may be one the Rockets regret not pursuing. 

Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks to Portland

As the two significant free agents to be on the roster, Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks were rumored to be in a number of trade scenarios together leading up to the trade deadline. This was to be expected, neither figured into the Rockets' long-term plans. In yet another deal to grab a center, the Rockets were rumored to be going after Portland's Marcus Camby, the 37-year-old center who resides in Houston during the offseason.

In the end, the Rockets split up the package and dealt Brooks to Phoenix and Battier to Memphis as Camby stayed put in Portland. 

From ESPN's Marc Stein: 

"

A deal that was discussed today but I'm now told is unlikely to happen featured Houston's Aaron Brooks and [Shane] Battier to Portland for [Marcus] Camby. 

"

Should the Rockets have made this deal?

Though it is not entirely clear whether the Rockets ever had the option of making this deal (it appears as though Portland turned down the Rockets in this scenario), the Rockets have to be pleased with their haul for Battier and Brooks. 

In return for Brooks and Battier, the Rockets acquired a pair of first rounders, Goran Dragic and Hasheem Thabeet. They later parlayed those two first rounders into Jonny Flynn and the No. 20 pick who would become Donatas Motiejunas (they also rid themselves of Brad Miller's contract in the process). In essence, they traded Brooks and Battier for Goran Dragic, Hasheem Thabeet, Donatas Motiejunas and Jonny Flynn.

Basically, the judgement of the deal (or lack thereof) boiled down to which package had the most value to the Rockets, the four young players or the aging but impressive Marcus Camby. 

While Camby would have added a lot to the squad, it's unlikely that his addition would have propelled the Rockets into the playoffs. In addition, he is set to make upwards of $10 million this year, has run into injury trouble the last few years and would've soaked up minutes from younger players vying for playing time in the front court.

The short-term boost from Camby would have been nice, but the quartet of cheap prospects that the Rockets added by moving Brooks and Battier makes the Blazers' rejection of the Rockets offer look good.

Courtney Lee to the Grizzlies

As the trade deadline approached, Courtney Lee repeatedly voiced his concerns that he might be traded. With his second mention on this list, perhaps those concerns were not completely unfounded. As the Rockets were kicking the tires at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies were reportedly very interested in Lee, and their interest found them in conversations to swap Lee and troubled guard O.J. Mayo.

Eventually, the Grizzlies gave up their pursuit and, as previously mentioned, found their wing player by swapping Hasheem Thabeet and a 2012 first-round pick for Shane Battier. 

From Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: 

"

Memphis has been a frequent caller on the trade market, and owner Michael Heisley is said to be adamant that the team make the playoffs, sources say. Some of the Grizzlies' focus remains on trying to move O.J. Mayo for a more traditional two-guard; some execs believe the Rockets' Courtney Lee would make sense, with the wild card being how highly Houston GM Daryl Morey regards Mayo.

"

Should the Rockets have made this deal?

Unlike some of the other deals on this list, the evidence that a deal was actually on the table is not strong. However, if the Rockets truly had the opportunity to make a pure Mayo for Lee swap, they were right not to agree to it. As exciting as O.J. Mayo can be, he is an uneven contributor who struggles to bring much defensive value to a team. As a bench scorer, he is adequate, but the hype surrounding him has ballooned his value too high.

Lee, on the other hand, was a stellar bench cog and a defensive ace for the Rockets, one of a few two-way players on the roster. His propensity to overshoot is troublesome, but he is a near-perfect role player on any contending squad. He doesn't have the upside that Mayo does, but he also does not have the potential to completely torpedo a team's chemistry like Mayo.

Jonny Flynn to the Rockets for Aaron Brooks

As the trade deadline approached, the Rockets were exploring a number of scenarios for both Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier, two players on expiring contracts who were not expected back for the 2011-12 season. One scenario involving Aaron Brooks had point guard Jonny Flynn, later acquired by the Rockets on draft night, coming to Houston.

While the Rockets were intrigued by Flynn's skill set, they apparently backed out of the talks as they figured they could find better value for Aaron Brooks than a struggling point guard with significant injury concerns.

From ESPN's Chad Ford and Mark Stein:

"

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets are discussing a deal that would land Wolves point guard Jonny Flynn with the Rockets, according to sources briefed on the discussions. 

"

Should the Rockets have made this deal?

While the other deals are more subjective to analyze because it's difficult to project how different pieces would fare in a Rockets uniform, this deal is simple because you can just compare the two packages the Rockets offered for Flynn. 

The Rockets reportedly offered Aaron Brooks for Jonny Flynn in February, while in June, the Rockets acquired Jonny Flynn and the No. 20 pick for Brad Miller, the No. 23 pick, the No. 38 pick (eventually returned to the Rockets for cash) and a future first rounder. 

In essence, the Rockets moved up in the draft, got Jonny Flynn and got rid of Brad Miller's contract just for the cost of a future first rounder and a second rounder. Given the strength of their original offer, it's safe to say that the Rockets got a better deal by waiting a few months.