With the 2022 NBA draft lottery officially in the books, the Houston Rockets are now set at No. 3 and No. 17 overall in the first round. The first pick is their own, won via Tuesday’s lottery, and the second is from Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade in January 2021.
If Houston keeps the No. 3 pick in the 2022 first round, they should have an opportunity on June 23 to draft one of the consensus top-three prospects: Gonzaga big Chet Holmgren, Duke forward Paolo Banchero, and Auburn forward Jabari Smith. Purdue guard Jaden Ivey and Kentucky wing Shaedon Sharpe may also work their way into the discussion.
However, a top-three pick could also prove valuable on the trade market, as Stone alluded to in his comments after Tuesday’s lottery.
