A Newly Signed Forward Became Houston’s Future Trade Asset
On October 5, 1992, Houston sent David Wood to San Antonio for a 1995 second-round selection. The Rockets had signed Wood only ten days earlier; the trade turned him into a future draft asset before he played a regular-season game for Houston. The pick ultimately became the No. 58 choice used on Don Reid, but Houston did not make that selection. Team transaction ledgers preserve the original Wood-for-pick exchange, and the later draft record identifies Detroit as the franchise that selected Reid. Confusing the eventual drafted player with a Houston acquisition obscures why this otherwise modest 1992 deal proved valuable.
The Second-Rounder Was Redeemed for Mario Elie in 1993
The crucial next step came August 2, 1993. Houston sent Portland the very 1995 second-round pick it had acquired from San Antonio and received Mario Elie. The Blazers’ historical media guide independently confirms that Elie arrived from Portland for the second-round selection later traded to Detroit and used on Reid. This is a traceable downstream asset conversion, not hypothetical value assigned after the draft. Elie gave Houston a versatile wing who fit the championship roster’s defensive effort and perimeter needs. Instead of waiting until 1995 to draft someone, the Rockets converted a low-cost future choice into a veteran who could contribute immediately.
Elie Was Part of Both Rockets Championship Runs
Elie appeared in 67 Houston regular-season games in 1993-94, averaging 9.3 points, and 81 more in 1994-95, averaging 8.8. He also played in all 23 of the Rockets’ 1994 playoff games and all 22 of their 1995 postseason games. Houston won the NBA title in each season. His famous decisive three-pointer against Phoenix in the 1995 Western Conference semifinals illustrates his real postseason role, but the trade is not credited with single-handedly creating the championships. The connection is narrower and documented: the second-round pick Houston received for Wood helped acquire a dependable contributor on two championship teams.
San Antonio Received Actual Depth, While the Pick Kept Moving
San Antonio did not get an empty return. Wood played 64 games and 598 regular-season minutes for the Spurs in 1992-93, starting twice and providing reserve frontcourt depth. The scale of that return is small next to what Houston later acquired. Portland subsequently included the No. 58 selection in a 1995 draft-day package sent to Detroit, which eventually picked Don Reid. Reid played his NBA career with other teams; his 1995-onward production is not credited to Houston or San Antonio. Houston’s realized asset value is the acquisition and use of Elie, while San Antonio’s is Wood’s 64-game stint. Those are the actual branches the grades compare.
Final Verdict
Rockets Win. Houston earns A for converting the 1995 second-rounder received in the David Wood trade into Mario Elie, a contributor on its 1994 and 1995 championship teams. San Antonio receives C+ for 64 games of useful but limited reserve work from Wood. Detroit ultimately drafted Don Reid at No. 58; Houston receives no credit for Reid’s unrelated playing career.