15 players the Rockets landed past their prime

8. Victor Oladipo

At his peak, Victor Oladipo was a stellar two-way player who could drop 20 points on a nightly basis, while providing elite defense on the opposing end. Oladipo rounded into superstar form with the Indiana Pacers, making two All-Star teams and even being named to an All-NBA team.

The Rockets included Oladipo in the James Harden trade in 2020-21, in hopes of remaining competitive after the departure of the franchise icon in Harden. Oladipo struggled out the gate, averaging just 18.4 points on 38.6 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from three through his first 11 games in Houston.

And although the Indiana product averaged 24.7 points on nearly 43 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from deep over the last nine games, it was quite clear that he wasn't the same player. The Rockets thought a trio of John Wall, Oladipo, and Christian Wood would be able to make a run in the Western Conference but they had acquired the former All-NBA guard too late in his career.

Oladipo was dealt to the Miami Heat after just 20 games with the Rockets, of which he averaged 21.2 points, 5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds.