Through all of the noise, the Houston Rockets stayed relatively quiet, making two minor moves. The first was exchanging second-round picks with the Boston Celtics, as Jaden Springer was the only player involved in the deal. He would eventually be waived, per Mike Scotto of HoopsHype.

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.

The Houston Rockets only made minor deals at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. But the results of some other teams' deadline activity make Houston's future look much brighter.

The Rockets are acquiring their 2028 second-round draft pick from Atlanta in exchange for taking on the salary of veteran Hawks center Cody Zeller.

Just one day after the Celtics traded Jaden Springer to the Houston Rockets, the 22-year-old guard will need to find a new home. Multiple reports indicate that the Rockets have elected to waive Springer after officially completing the trade with Boston on Thursday morning.

The Houston Rockets made if official on Thursday, acquiring fourth-year guard Jaden Springer from the Boston Celtics along with a pair of second-round picks in 2027 (protected) and 2030 (unprotected).