GREG SMITH - the first of three players on this list who were traded in the first month of the CSL to the New Orleans Pelicans. Smith played just 74 unspectacular minutes in a Rockets jersey, before being traded to the Pelicans, where he would play the final 32 minutes of his CSL career to this point. He has not played since 2013.
AARON BROOKS - the second of three players traded to the Pelicans, Brooks rarely played for the Rockets but found a spot on the bench with the 2013-14 Pelicans. However, since then, Brooks has been unable to make a CSL roster, due to a poor FG% and defense. The next season, he averaged 12/6/4 in the D-League, but he was unable to shoot a passable percentage and found himself not playing basketball at all. At 31, it's not out of the question for Brooks to play again, but it's getting unlikely.
OMER ASIK - after 14 solid games in Houston in 2013, Asik was traded along with Smith, Brooks, and a future draft pick swap to the Pelicans for Al-Farouq Aminu, Ryan Anderson, and Brian Roberts. At 30, Asik has had a successful tenure in the CSL with the Rockets, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Hawks as a constant double-double threat and strong defender, and still has about a half-dozen years to go.
EARL BARRON - Barron was primarily a reserve for the Rockets and rarely played. After one season, he was let go and bounced around the league a couple times before retiring quietly.
DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS - D-Mo rode the bench or was relegated to the D-League in Houston, playing only 18 games with the Rockets, and then was dealt to the Golden State Warriors as part of the Cousins for Iggy/Dipo swap. After a couple uninspiring years with the Warriors, he attempted to latch on to the Rockets again, signing to the Summer League squad, but nothing came of that and Motiejunas is currently a free agent.
MARQUIS DANIELS - Daniels played a role on that 2013-14 Rockets squad, at times playing a healthy chunk of minutes as a tough defender and decent all-around player. Like Barron, he was let go at the end of the season, bounced around a couple times, and retired on his own terms.
FRANCISCO GARCIA - Garcia and the Rockets vowed to never speak of his hideous shooting in his brief stint as a Rocket. He was dealt for a 2nd round draft pick, but has carved out roles in Denver and Oklahoma City as a spot-up shooter and reasonable defender.
ISAIAH CANAAN - Nobody has figured out what Canaan is yet. Three years into his career, we may be seeing him signing with a D-League team as a player that just never realized his potential, but we don't know that since he almost never played. Canaan played just 9 minutes in his six week stint with Houston.
TERRENCE JONES - Jones' stint with the Rockets was short-lived- he spent 19 games with them before being shipped off for Darren Collison, Danny Granger, and a 1st round pick to the Clippers, where he spent the next two seasons as a solid all-around role player. He was traded to Indiana last season, and very nearly traded back to Houston this past off-season. The Rockets still have their eye on him, since they love his abilities on both ends of the floor.
PATRICK BEVERLEY - Patrick Beverley is on his fifth Western Conference team in the last 36 months. After being dealt to the Kings in the Cousins trade, Beverley's pesky defensive, ball-handling, and rebounding have kept a lot of teams very interested in his services. Beverley may be best known for becoming a triple-double threat in the 2014-15 Finals for the Nuggets. He has recently become the enemy- signing with the Pelicans on a substantial contract.
JEREMY LIN - another player dealt to the Kings in that Cousins trade, Lin's time in Houston was marred by shooting inconsistency, but it's clear that Lin is very talented, having started every game of his CSL career, Lin has kept teams on their toes with a solid all-around skillset that earned him a 1500% raise last season, when San Antonio signed him to a max contract.
CHANDLER PARSONS - the main piece traded to the Kings for DeMarcus Cousins, Parsons has been a legit scorer and all-around threat since day one. Although he tore his ACL last season, he has been a staple for the Kings and a piece that they highly value for good reason.
DWIGHT HOWARD - Dwight was one of the two stars the Rockets started out with. The best defensive big man in the game, Howard's tenure with the Rockets was one destined for greatness but instead marred by injury and inconsistency. He was dealt to the Clippers last season (for Thaddeus Young, Marcin Gortat, Roy Devyn Marble, and draft picks) after the Rockets decided they were not willing to offer him a max extension. Dwight promptly exploded in LA, but the Rockets ousted the Clippers in the playoffs.
JAMES HARDEN - you've heard plenty about him. League MVP, three-time All-CSL 1st team, three-time All-Star, and one-time All-Star MVP... you get the idea. He's the best offensive player in the CSL, and is a Rocket for life.
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Stay tuned for the follow-up: 2016-17 Houston Rockets: Where Did They Come From?
2020, 2023, 2027, 2035
