Suffice it to say, the Rockets bowed out of making the star trade most thought they would. Despite its plethora of young talent, which remains one of the largest cores in the leag

At the time of writing, the Suns, who entered the season with title aspirations, sit at just ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 26-25. The season has not gone as planned. If the draft were held today, the Suns would likely be conveying the 14th pick to Houston.

While their Western Conference competitors engineered seismic deals that altered the NBA landscape — trading for Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler and De’Aaron Fox — the Houston Rockets remained at a relative standstill as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed.