Houston Turned Aaron Brooks Into Two Different Assets
Houston sent Aaron Brooks to Phoenix at the February 24, 2011 deadline. In return the Rockets acquired Goran Dragic and a conditional 2011 first-round pick whose identity depended on whether the Suns reached the playoffs. The eventual selection was No. 23 and became Nikola Mirotic. That structure matters: Houston received a player who could enter its rotation right away and a distinct first-round draft asset, while the Suns concentrated their return in one scorer for the current season.
Dragic Was a Usable Short-Term Guard
Dragic's stay in Houston was relatively brief, but his playmaking and reserve-guard contribution supplied actual minutes rather than hypothetical future upside. The first-round selection also gave Houston another transaction opportunity. It would overstate this specific deal to award the Rockets every later career achievement associated with Mirotic, since a draft outcome is not the same as the drafted player's full future production for Houston. The team's B grade reflects the useful pair of assets actually acquired.
Phoenix Paid Two Pieces for Brooks
Brooks had already demonstrated that he could score in the NBA, giving Phoenix a clear reason to acquire him during a postseason chase. But the Suns surrendered both Dragic and a future first for that particular immediate fit. The canonical hindsight assessment puts the completed Phoenix package well behind Houston's realized player-plus-pick return. A harsh Phoenix grade isn't a claim that Brooks had no prior ability; it reflects the high price paid relative to the subsequent return to the acquiring team.
Final Verdict
Rockets Win. Houston earns B for Goran Dragic's useful guard minutes and the No. 23 first-round pick that became Nikola Mirotic. Phoenix receives F for the unfavorable completed exchange of those assets for Aaron Brooks, despite his established scoring reputation. The record supports Houston's victory without assigning unrelated later careers to its roster.