As the All-Star break arrives, the 2021-22 regular season is approximately two-thirds complete. With regards to the upcoming 2022 NBA draft, the biggest change in recent weeks for the Rockets is the positioning of their second first-round pick — which comes from Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade in January 2021.
Given the roster’s youth and the franchise’s clear rebuilding plan, Houston’s own pick was always likely to be high in the order in 2022. As of Wednesday, the Rockets continue to hold the third-worst record in the NBA, as they have for much of this season (trailing only Detroit and Orlando). But what has changed since we last scoured the available mock drafts (in late January) is the significant downturn by the Nets.
Entering Wednesday, the Nets had lost 11 of their last 12 games, and the no longer have Harden (traded to Philadelphia) waiting in the wings to return. At the moment, Brooklyn is No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, which would put them squarely in the middle of the East’s play-in tournament and at serious risk of missing the playoffs altogether. Should that happen, the Rockets would receive a second lottery pick!
