Rockets must hang onto some of the league's most valuable trade chips

The Houston Rockets own the Phoenix Suns' 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. They should hang onto them for dear life.

Bleacher Report just named them among the five most valuable trade chips in the NBA. They went on to suggest they should trade them for Devin Booker. I already covered that trade, but this bears repeating:

If these are among the five most valuable trade chips in the NBA, why trade them for a player outside of the All-NBA discussion on a monstrous contract who isn't a top 5 trade chip in the NBA?

Leaving that dubious logic aside, let's simply say that Houston should not trade these picks for Devin Booker. I'll go a bridge further:

They should hardly trade them for anything.

Rockets must hang onto invaluable trade assets

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes erred in his trade proposal, but he hit the mark on the value of these picks.

"The Phoenix Suns are on a rocket ship to nowhere after spending two years experimenting with the worst possible asset and roster management under the new CBA."

- Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report

That's precisely why these picks are so valuable. The Suns are on a rocket ship to nowhere. That means the inverse is true for Houston:

The Rockets are on a rocket ship to, well, somewhere.

The Suns' outlook is bleak. They've got a roster that's spit between trying to win now and looking towards the future. They're likely to be mediocre-to-bad for a few years, and the Rockets own their picks.

Why would they give that up?

Rockets should only trade Suns picks for superstar

Well, if Giannis Antetokounmpo is available, perhaps you pivot. The same holds true for Nikola Jokic. You'd likely make an exception for Jayson Tatum on the off chance he shakes loose. Otherwise, assuming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic aren't going anywhere, you hang onto these picks.

After the 2025-26 season, the Rockets can re-evaluate. If they lose in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the prospect of moving these picks for a lesser star becomes more tenable. When a team is that close to the NBA title, it's worth going all-in on upgrading the roster they have.

For now, the Rockets have a wide championship window. Narrowing that window unnecessarily should not be an option. Either of these picks could land first overall.

Sure, the 2027 draft is perceived as weak - for now. The draft cycle is infamously volatile. By the time we get to 2027, a generational superstar could have emerged.

Moreover, nobody knows what 2029 holds. Imagine the next Victor Wembanyama is available, and the Suns' pick conveys at one. Unfortunately, it's back in Phoenix's hands, and the Rockets have been a perennial semi-finals exit.

That's a nightmare scenario that's easily avoided. For the time being, the Rockets should treat these picks like the premium assets they are. If they're not receiving an MVP candidate, they've got no incentive to move the picks:

There's no telling how valuable they could be.