The Rockets Bought a Young Reserve Guard From Portland
On June 28, 2017, Houston acquired Tim Quarterman from the Trail Blazers for cash considerations. The move took place during a busy Rockets offseason and was among several small transactions surrounding the arrival of Chris Paul. Quarterman had spent his first NBA season with Portland, earning an opportunity as a young guard with size. Houston wasn't paying for a proven starter; it was securing another option to evaluate in camp. The official NBA trade tracker explicitly lists the receiving player and outgoing cash, without identifying a specific dollar amount.
Quarterman's First Houston Stay Ended Before Opening Night
The Rockets carried Quarterman through the offseason, but they released him on October 13, 2017, prior to the start of regular-season play. He consequently logged no Houston NBA points, assists or official games as the direct first-stint return from this June trade. His 2016-17 Portland statistics don't transfer to his new organization merely because Houston acquired his contract. The distinction prevents a misleading grade based on a rookie season that belonged entirely to the club which sold him. It was an unsuccessful Rockets tryout.
A Separate Spring Signing Doesn't Alter the Trade's Return
Quarterman's professional record includes a later Rockets contract in March 2018 followed by another April waiver. That was a fresh free-agent move rather than a second stage of the original Portland cash sale. Separating the two transactions avoids crediting the June 2017 trade with anything Quarterman might have done after rejoining under a different agreement. The main historical result remains that the player originally acquired for cash never became part of Houston's regular-season rotation during the contract bought from Portland.
Portland Received the Only Realized Compensation
The Trail Blazers collected cash for an end-of-bench prospect, which was a valid financial return even though the amount wasn't publicly specified in the official trade summary. Houston obtained the right to examine a guard who didn't survive the roster cut. Neither side lost a central player, and the dollar value shouldn't be exaggerated. The imported F grades dismissed both forms of value: Portland actually received payment, and Houston's developmental risk was modest. Still, the difference between a realized cash receipt and a player who logged zero official games favors the seller.
Final Verdict
Blazers Win. Portland gets C+ for receiving cash when it moved Tim Quarterman to Houston. The Rockets get D+ because their June 2017 acquisition was waived before the season without any team-specific NBA appearance. His later March 2018 return was a distinct contract, not a league contribution produced by the original cash purchase.