The Rockets are acquiring their 2028 second-round draft pick from Atlanta in exchange for taking on the salary of veteran Hawks center Cody Zeller.

The Houston Rockets made a last-minute move ahead of the NBA trade deadline Thursday afternoon to acquire center Cody Zeller and a 2028 second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction.

Houston's only trade heading into deadline day was a deal with the Boston Celtics that saw them net Jaden Springer while swapping second-round picks with the C's. The Rockets will be sending out a 2028 second-round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Zeller, allowing them to shore up their bench with another small trade.

Shams Charania: The Atlanta Hawks are trading Cody Zeller and Houston's 2028 second-round pick to the Rockets, sources tell ESPN.

The other big trade saw the Hawks send Guard Bogdan Bogdanović to the Los Angeles Clippers for Guard Terence Mann and Guard Bones Holland. Bogdanović had been a key bench player for Atlanta but was in year two of his four-year extension with the Hawks and is due over $17 million this season.

Former Indiana men’s basketball superstar forward Cody Zeller was traded to the Houston Rockets on Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania. The Atlanta Hawks also sent a 2028 second-round pick to the Rockets in the deal.