Houston moved down three spots in the 2022 draft, sending Wendell Moore Jr.'s rights to Minnesota for TyTy Washington Jr.'s rights plus Minnesota's 2025 and 2027 second-round picks. Neither player became a meaningful long-term rotation piece, but Houston retained more downstream asset value through the two extra seconds.
Minnesota wanted Wendell Moore Jr. badly enough to move from No. 29 to No. 26 on draft night in 2022. Houston sent Moore's rights to the Timberwolves and received the rights to TyTy Washington Jr. plus Minnesota's 2025 and 2027 second-round picks. The player swap itself was only three draft slots, so the two extra seconds were the real reason the Rockets had a path to win the deal even if Washington never became a long-term rotation guard.
Washington played 31 games for Houston as a rookie, starting twice and averaging 4.7 points in 14.0 minutes. He was gone after one season. Moore lasted two seasons with Minnesota but appeared in only 54 regular-season games and averaged 1.1 points. The Timberwolves later included him with the No. 37 pick in a 2024 trade with Detroit. Because Moore was bundled with another draft asset, the later return cannot fairly be credited to Moore alone.
The 2025 Minnesota second did not stay with Houston through the draft. The Rockets sent Washington and two second-rounders to Atlanta as part of the five-team Dillon Brooks transaction in July 2023. That Minnesota pick ultimately landed at No. 51 in 2025, when Mohamed Diawara was selected after additional trades. Houston's 2027 Minnesota second also moved again: it was one of the two seconds sent to Oklahoma City with Kevin Porter Jr. in October 2023. These picks had downstream utility, but neither should be treated as if it alone bought Brooks or resolved the Porter transaction.
There is no star outcome on either side. Washington did not stick in Houston, and Moore did not become a meaningful Minnesota rotation player. The difference is that Houston also received two future seconds and was able to use both in later transactions. Minnesota received the player it targeted but little NBA production from him. That is enough for a clear Houston edge, although the Rockets' return still belongs in the lower half of the grading scale because none of the incoming pieces became a major on-court contributor.
Rockets Win — Houston C, Minnesota D. TyTy Washington Jr. gave Houston only 31 games, so the player portion of the return was limited. Wendell Moore Jr. was even less useful to Minnesota, producing 54 games at 1.1 points per game before being moved in a package with another pick. Houston also received Minnesota's 2025 and 2027 seconds and later used both as trade assets. The Rockets did not uncover a cornerstone, but they got more usable value from moving down three spots than Minnesota realized from moving up.