Houston Flipped Bell One Day After Acquiring Him
Houston acquired Jordan Bell from Minnesota in the four-team Robert Covington deal and moved him again the next day, sending Bell and 2023 second-round pick-swap terms to Memphis for Bruno Caboclo. The swap was a small deadline transaction between two reserve frontcourt players, not a core-roster move. Caboclo had fallen to 8.7 minutes per game in 22 appearances for Memphis that season after a more productive 2018-19 run. Bell had averaged 3.1 points in 27 games for Minnesota before his brief stop on Houston's books.
Caboclo Barely Entered Houston's Rotation
Caboclo appeared in eight regular-season games for Houston after the trade, averaging 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.5 minutes. He returned for six more games in 2020-21, giving the Rockets 14 total regular-season appearances from the acquisition, all off the bench. Houston waived him in January 2021 as part of the roster movement surrounding the James Harden three-team trade. The Rockets therefore received some actual NBA minutes, but not enough role value or longevity to lift their side beyond the canonical D+ grade.
Memphis Got Only a Two-Game Look at Bell
Bell played two games for Memphis, totaling 21 minutes, before the Grizzlies waived him on March 2, 2020 while creating a roster spot for Anthony Tolliver. His direct contribution was even smaller than Caboclo's Houston stint. Memphis did at least acquire the 2023 second-round option attached to the deal, which gave the franchise a future path to improve its draft position if the protection and swap conditions aligned. That optionality carried more potential than Bell's two-game stay, but it ultimately produced no draft asset for Memphis.
The 2023 Pick Terms Expired Without a Payoff
Houston's 2023 second-round pick landed at No. 32, inside the deal's protection, so the pick did not transfer. The related Memphis swap option also was not exercised. That leaves a very small completed-value ledger on both sides: Houston got 14 Caboclo appearances, while Memphis got two Bell appearances and temporary draft optionality that never converted. The canonical C versus D+ split is therefore a narrow low-end distinction rather than a claim that Memphis found a lasting contributor. Both teams moved fringe rotation pieces; Memphis receives the slight edge for the additional flexibility built into its return.
Final Verdict
Grizzlies Win — Houston D+, Memphis C. Houston received 14 regular-season appearances from Bruno Caboclo across parts of two seasons before waiving him in January 2021. Memphis received only two games from Jordan Bell and waived him less than a month after the trade, while the 2023 second-round protection and swap mechanics ultimately produced no draft asset. Neither side created much lasting value. Memphis's return at least included future draft flexibility in addition to the short Bell audition, which is enough to preserve the canonical one-step grade edge without overstating the transaction.