Did Sean Marks turn down Houston Rockets’ top trade offer?

Sure, it seems like Sean Marks and his Houston Rockets counterpart, Rafael Stone, responded a lot earlier this year… At least if you listen to the reports coming out of Houston.

There were first reports that at the February deadline, Stone had offered Marks most, if not all, of the remaining first-round picks that Brooklyn had sent to Houston in the original James Harden trade – plus Jalen Green – vs. Mikal Bridges.

Now, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that the month before, Stone had offered these same picks to Marks in exchange for the Phoenix Suns picks he acquired in the Kevin Durant trade!

Feigen, the veteran Rockets writer, cited two sources in his report Friday…

Marks reports that Feigen turned down Stone’s offer just as he did February’s offer of Green-plus picks for Bridges.

To recall, then and now, the Rockets controlled the Nets’ unprotected first-round picks in this year’s draft as well as 2026, as well as first-round trade rights in 2025 and 2027.

The Nets, meanwhile, control the Suns’ unprotected primes in 2025, 2027 and 2029 as well as 2028 rights trade rights, generally considered valuable assets given the Suns’ woes despite their KD Big Three , Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

But last January, we could have seen Stone’s argument. Phoenix was on its best run of the season with a 14-2 record and looks like an experiment that could work. Meanwhile, the Nets were in the midst of a 3-14 stretch. With more than one pundit — and many fans — pleading for Marks to pull the plug and abandon the season, getting his own picks back might have had some sense. Since then, of course, not only have the Suns been unable to maintain their January success, but they were swept in the first round by the Timberwolves, which likely makes the Nets’ reserve even more valuable. Indeed, Feigen reports that Marks “quickly rejected” Stone’s offer.

Not so fast, reports a league source. While everyone wants Phoenix’s picks, Rockets’ interest like others is hypothetical

Feigen also reports that the Rockets, who already have a roster filled with good young players, want to move the Nets’ assets for players rather than prospects starting with the 2024 pick who currently sits at No. 9 in the draft lottery. Sunday afternoon draft.