Rockets have golden opportunity to land gigantic return in Devin Booker trade

The Houston Rockets know how valuable it can be to control another team's future.

First, they sent James Harden to the Nets in exchange for a monopoly over their draft for the foreseeable future. Next, they traded that monopoly to the Suns to control their draft.

Now, the Rockets have the Suns backed into a corner in any negotiation. They have something uniquely valuable to them. The prevailing wisdom holds that eventually, the Rockets will consolidate those picks for a star player, whether one of the Suns' stars or otherwise.

It could happen any day now. The Durant rumors are certainly heating up. In the meantime, another blockbuster just went down. The Grizzlies sent Desmond Bane to the Magic for a massive return.

Could the Rockets find a way to take advantage of that situation?

Rockets could make deal with draft-rich Grizzlies

Who knows what the Grizzlies are planning?

They could have a wholesale rebuild in their immediate future. By contrast, this could be the move before the move:

What if they have eyes for Booker?

It's a long shot. Memphis could be more inclined to trade Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. They may have loaded up on draft capital in preparation for the future.

That said, the Bane deal was surprising precisely because the Grizzlies do not need to do that. With a talented infrastructure already in place, this small market team may not be looking to reset the timeline. They could be looking to upgrade via a series of moves.

If so, Booker would be a perfect target. That said, it takes two to tango.

Should the Rocketrs offer them a dance partner?

Rockets could benefit from deal with Grizzlies

This wouldn't follow the exact pattern that the Rockets have been in.

Acquiring the Nets' picks was more about replenishing an empty war chest. The Rockets had virtually no draft capital at the end of the Harden era, so they had to get some back. Still, they were also betting on an aging Nets team yielding some quality picks, even if it happened sooner than expected.

Flipping some of those Nets picks for the Suns picks felt more like a direct gamble on the Suns' implosion. It paid off. If Houston made a deal with the Grizzlies, they wouldn't be making the same bet. The Magic just assembled a potentially lethal roster, and in this hypothetical, Memphis would be getting Devin Booker. Picks from either team would not project as lottery selections.

It could still be worth Houston's time. Imagine a hypothetical where Memphis gets Booker, the Suns get contracts from the Grizzlies and their picks back from Houston, and the Rockets flip two Suns picks for two Memphis picks and two Orlando picks. Such a major influx of picks could be worth that cost, even if Houston is flipping quality for quantity.

It could help them define their own future.