List of Houston Rockets first and second round draft picks

The Houston Rockets joined the NBA in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets, but moved to Houston in 1971, where they have been located ever since.

In the first four drafts the Rockets participated in, each team had a total of 90 draft choices (14 in 1967, and 19 each from 1968 to 1971). For two drafts in 1972 and 1973, there were eight rounds, and from 1974 to 1985, the draft was 10 rounds long. [cite web |url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/draft.html |title=Houston Rockets Draft Register |publisher=basketball-reference.com |accessdate=2008-04-11] However, in 1985, the draft was shortened to seven rounds, and in 1989, the NBA agreed with the National Basketball Players' Association to limit drafts to two rounds, an arrangement that has remained the same up the present time.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/draft_evolution.html |title=Evolution of the Draft and Lottery |publisher=NBA.com |accessdate=2008-03-18] Before each draft, an NBA Draft Lottery determines the first round selection order for the teams that missed the playoffs during the prior season. Teams can also trade their picks, which means that in some drafts teams may have more or less than two draft picks, although they must have at least one first-round pick every other year. [cite web |url=http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#71 |title=NBA Salary Cap FAQ |publisher=Larry Coon |accessdate=2008-04-25]

In 1968, the Rockets selected Elvin Hayes, who became an eventual Hall of Famer and one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, with the first pick of the draft. [cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/hayes_bio.html |title=Elvin Hayes Bio |publisher=NBA.com |accessdate=2008-04-25] The Rockets again had the first pick of the draft in 1984, after winning a coin flip for the first pick against the Portland Trail Blazers, and they used it to select Hakeem Olajuwon, who later led the Rockets to two consecutive titles in the 1990s. [cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/olajuwon_bio.html |title=Hakeem Olajuwon Bio |publisher=NBA.com |accessdate=2008-04-18] In 2003, the Rockets won the first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft through the lottery, and they chose Yao Ming, who has since become a six-time All-Star. [cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/yao_ming/bio.html |title=Yao Ming Bio Page |publisher=NBA.com |accessdate=2008-04-25]

Key

elections

Footnotes

*note label|Note1|a|aOn June 7, 1976, the Rockets traded Joe Meriweather, Gus Bailey and their first round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Atlanta's first-round draft pick.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.18 |accessdate=2008-04-19]
*note label|Note2|b|bOn June 9, 1977, the Rockets traded John Johnson to the Boston Celtics for Boston's 1977 and 1978 second-round draft picks.
*note label|Note3|c|cOn October 22, 1977, the Rockets traded John Johnson to the Seattle SuperSonics for Seattle's 1979 and 1980 second-round draft picks.
*note label|Note4|d|dOn October 12, 1979, the Rockets traded Mike Newlin to the New Jersey Nets for cash and New Jersey's 1980 second-round draft pick.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.19 |accessdate=2008-04-19]
*note label|Note5|e|eOn June 9, 1978, the Boston Celtics signed Kevin Kunnert, and in compensation, the Rockets received cash and the Celtics' 1981 second-round draft pick.
*note label|Note6|f|fOn 27 June, 1990, Houston traded Alec Kessler to the Miami Heat for Dave Jamerson and Carl Herrera.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.20 |accessdate=2008-04-19]
*note label|Note7|g|gOn 26 June, 1991, Houston traded Keith Hughes to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second round draft in 1996 and future considerations.
*note label|Note8|h|hOn February 27, 1990, Houston traded Derrick Chievous to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Cleveland's 1991, 1992, and 1993 second-round picks.
*note label|Note9|i|iOn February 23, 1995, Houston traded Scott Brooks to the Dallas Mavericks for Morlon Wiley and Dallas's second-round pick.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.21 |accessdate= 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note10|j|jOn June 19, 1996, Houston traded Pete Chilcutt, Tim Breaux, two 1996 draft picks, and a 1997 draft pick to the Vancouver Grizzlies for two 1996 draft picks and one 1997 draft pick.
*note label|Note11|k|kOn August, 1996, Houston traded Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Sam Cassell, and Robert Horry to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Charles Barkley and a 1999 second-round draft pick.
*note label|Note12|l|lOn June 28, 2008, Houston traded Joel Przybilla to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Jason Collier and a future first-round draft pick.cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.22 |accessdate= 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note13|m|mOn June 28, 2008, Houston traded Eduardo Najera and a future second-round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Dan Langhi.
*note label|Note14|n|nOn June 27, 2001, the Rockets traded Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong to the New Jersey Nets for Eddie Griffin. [cite news | title = Rockets Deal Three to Get Griffin | publisher = NBA.com | date = June 27, 2001 | url = http://www.nba.com/draft2001/news/griffin_rockets_010627.html?nav=ArticleList | accessdate = 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note15|o|oOn June 2, 2002, the Rockets traded their 22nd first-round pick to the Orlando Magic for their 23rd first-round pick. [cite news | title = Rockets, Magic Swap First-Round Picks | publisher = NBA.com | date = June 2, 2001 | url = http://www.nba.com/draft2001/news/rockets_magic_010602.html?nav=RelatedLinkList | accessdate = 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note16|p|pOn August 2, 2001, the Rockets traded Hakeem Olajuwon to the Toronto Raptors for future first and second-round draft picks. [cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com | pages = p.24 |accessdate= 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note17|q|qOn June 18, 2002, the Rockets traded their secound-round pick to the Miami Heat for the Heat's second-round pick. [cite news | title = Rockets Draft Central 2002 | publisher = NBA.com | date = 2002 | url = http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Rockets_Draft_2002-45979-34.html | accessdate = 2008-04-19]
*note label|Note18|r|rOn June 28, 2006, the Rockets traded Stromile Swift and the draft rights to Rudy Gay to the Memphis Grizzlies for Shane Battier. [cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Rockets_acquire_Battier_in_tra-184447-822.html |title=Rockets acquire Battier in trade |publisher=NBA.com/rockets |accessdate=2008-04-19]

Citations

References

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*cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/03mediaguide_129_222.pdf |title=2003-04 Houston Rockets Media Guide |publisher=NBA.com |accessdate=2008-04-19
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