The Houston Rockets reportedly could be key players leading up to Thursday's NBA trade deadline even if they don't land a big-name player. According to

Through all of the noise, the Houston Rockets stayed relatively quiet, making two minor moves. The first was exchanging second-round picks with the Boston Celtics, as Jaden Springer was the only player involved in the deal. He would eventually be waived, per Mike Scotto of HoopsHype.

While their Western Conference competitors engineered seismic deals that altered the NBA landscape — trading for Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler and De’Aaron Fox — the Houston Rockets remained at a relative standstill as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed.

Keon Johnson and D'Angelo Russell made 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, and the Brooklyn Nets stunned the Houston Rockets 99-97 on Tuesday night for their first home victory in two months. Brooklyn trailed 97-93 when Tosan Evbuomwan inbounded the ball to Johnson,

The Nets beat the Rockets in a thrilling 99-97 win in which Brooklyn scored six points in the closing seconds to come away with the upset win in front of the Barclays Center crowd

Mired in their first three-game losing skid of the season, the Houston Rockets will try to stop the streak on the second night of a back-to-back at Barclays Center vs. the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 4.

Analyzing Thursday’s Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

It’s Thursday, February 6, and the Houston Rockets (32-18) and Minnesota Timberwolves (28-23) are all set to square off from Target Center in Minneapolis. Houston gave away their game in Brooklyn Tuesday night losing 99-97 to the Nets giving up two 3-pointers sandwiched around a turnover with under 10 seconds to play.

The Brooklyn Nets are working on a buyout of Ben Simmons' contract, ESPN reported Thursday. Simmons is in the final season of a five-year, $177.2 million deal. He is being paid $40.3 million this season.

With the NBA trade deadline passed, it’s now on to the buyout market. Ben Simmons could very well be on it. The Nets have been speaking with Simmons about a potential buyout, and the former All-Star is expected to have robust options to pick from if an agreement is reached and he becomes a free agent.