After Clyde Drexler retired in 1998, the Houston Rockets thought they had found his perfect replacement. With both Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley still effective, yet aging fast, the Rockets knew they had a very short window left with those stars at the helm. So they swung a trade in the offseason for forward Scottie Pippen, who was coming off of his second set of three straight titles alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls.
Pippen’s defense and willingness to fit in a secondary role alongside Houston’s two big post threats was thought to be a perfect fit, and when the Rockets sent Roy Rodgers and a 2000 second-round pick to the Bulls for Pippen, the trade rightfully received much publicity and fanfare.