In 2004, the Houston Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.
“Houston.”
“Rockets.”
That simple chant symbolized the Clutch City championship years as fans entered and exited The Summit after another Rockets playoff victory.
The second championship in 1995 probably would not have happened if the defending champs had not traded starting power forward Otis Thorpe to the Portland Trailblazers for hometown hero Clyde Drexler.
With the trade of Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant, Rockets fans have begun to entertain championship dreams once again.
That championship potential had the RegalMag.com staff thinking about some of the best trades made by the team headquartered in the same city as the Regal Media Group, LLC headquarters.
- Ralph Sampson to Golden State Warriors for Joe Barry Carroll and Sleepy Floyd—This trade is underrated because it did not lead to a championship. Furthermore, it ended the Twin Towers era for the Rockets in the late 1980s. But because of his injury history, shipping Ralph Sampson to the Golden State Warriors for All-Stars Joe Barry Carroll and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd was the right move, as Sampson’s career was never the same after leaving H-Town.
- Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen to Sacramento Kings for Otis Thorpe—When people think of the 1984 NBA Draft, Otis Thorpe does not get enough love. But when the Rockets traded for the former Kansas City/Sacramento Kings power forward in exchange for Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen, he brought some much-needed muscle to the Rockets’ frontcourt. His toughness, combined with the greatness of Hakeem Olajuwon, helped the Rockets win their first-ever championship in 1994. In 1992, Thorpe made his only All-Star appearance.
- James Harden to Brooklyn Nets for Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs and multiple draft picks—Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone proved his genius when he traded disgruntled superstar James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets for several players and multiple first-round draft picks and pick swaps. Harden’s tenure in Brooklyn did not produce a championship, and he is now playing for his hometown Los Angeles Clippers.
- Robert Horry and Sam Cassell to the Phoenix Suns for Charles Barkley—This trade remains controversial amongst Rockets fans of the 1990s. However, it should not be. Some fans say that the Rockets traded key pieces of a championship team for a player who could not get the Rockets to the NBA Finals. But the team was no longer a championship team because the Seattle Supersonics swept them in the 1996 conference semifinals. Therefore, a change had to happen to get over that Seattle hump. They did that. But could not get past John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz in the 1997 Western Conference Finals.
- Rockets acquire Steve Francis from Vancouver Grizzlies in 11-player trade—By the late 1990s, the Houston Rockets were losing their swag with aging stars like Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley. However, when Grizzlies draft pick Steve Francis refused to play in Vancouver, he ended up in Houston, where he teamed up with Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt to give Houston one of the NBA’s most exciting teams heading into the new millennium. Francis kept defenders on skates, crossing them up at will and dunking on some of the NBA’s best big men. And who could forget his patented alley-oop passes to center Kelvin Cato? Francis’ Rockets teams did not win a championship. But they won a lot of fans, and not just those in H-Town.
- Rockets trade Francis, Cato and Mobley to Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady and others—Stevie Franchise and Cat were fan favorites. But as former Coach Jeff Van Gundy said at the time, Tracy McGrady was just a better player than Francis. Therefore, the Rockets acquired T-Mac to pair with a young Yao Ming to create their own version of Shaq and Kobe. Despite the talent and size, injuries and bad luck prevented that Rockets team from winning a championship. McGrady did not even win a playoff series with the Rockets. But he created one of the most memorable moments in Rockets history when he scored 13 points in 35 seconds to secure an improbable 80-81 victory over the Spurs on Dec. 9, 2004.
- Rockets trade Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks to Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant—If K.D. does for the Rockets what many fans hope, the acquisition of the University of Texas product will move up on this list to at least number two. The Rockets surprised many NBA fans when they finished the regular season as the number two seed in the loaded Western Conference. But the team did not have a guaranteed “bucket” on the team that could score at will. Even at 36 years old, Durant is still one of the most gifted scorers in the league.
- Rockets trade Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and draft picks to Oklahoma City Thunder for James Harden—It seems laughable in 2025. But in 2012, some Rockets fans believed the team gave up too much for the Thunder’s sixth man. Few could have predicted Harden would become one of the best one-on-one scorers in the NBA. Unfortunately, Harden never lived up to his regular-season standards in the playoffs, which prevented the Rockets from ever beating teams like the Golden State Warriors. But after Hakeem Olajuwon, Harden is the second-best Rocket of all time.
- Rockets trade two future first-round picks to Buffalo Braves for Moses Malone—The Rockets absolutely fleeced the Buffalo Braves (Los Angeles Clippers) in acquiring Malone after the future Hall of Famer played only two games for the Braves. Malone went on to become one of the most dominant big men in NBA history, winning two MVP awards during his tenure with the Houston Rockets. Malone also led the Rockets to an improbable run to the NBA Finals in 1981, before winning his only ring with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983.
- Rockets trade Thorpe, draft rights to Marcelo Nicola, 1995 first round pick to Portland Trailblazers for Clyde Drexler, Tracy Murray—After struggling during most of the regular season as the defending NBA champions, Rockets fans fell back in love with their team when they acquired hometown hero Clyde Drexler on Feb. 14, 1995. Although some fans thought Drexler was past his prime, his desire to win his first championship rekindled the fire in Clutch City as the University of Houston product teamed with his college teammate Olajuwon to win the championship that eluded them during the Phi Slama Jama days.
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