Entering 2023, the bad news for the young Houston Rockets is that they’ve lost eight times over their past nine games and are tied for the fewest wins (10) of any NBA team during the 2022-23 season.
The good news is that led by the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the 2023 NBA draft class is widely viewed as a strong one, and the Rockets are currently slated to have full control of their own pick once this year’s draft takes place on Thursday, June 22.
They also have a first-round selection headed their way from Milwaukee, which is likely to be near the bottom of the round. For playoff teams, like the Bucks, draft slot is determined solely by record — whereas for the 14 non-playoff teams, like the Rockets, the top-four picks are determined from a weighted lottery system. From there, the remainder of those top-14 selections are decided by record.
Here’s a roundup of who the various draft experts have going to Houston in recent mock drafts, along with a look at the lottery odds. As of Monday, the Rockets (10-26) had the league’s third-worst record, with only Detroit and Charlotte holding better lottery odds.
2022-23 NBA standings entering January 2023
Teams within three games (in either direction) of Houston:
- 1. Detroit, 10-29
- 2. Charlotte, 10-27, 1.0 games back (GB)
- 3. Houston, 10-26, 1.5 GB
- 4. San Antonio, 12-24, 3.5 GB
- 5. Orlando, 13-24, 4.0 GB
Draft lottery odds, if Rockets finish with third-worst record
- No. 1: 14.0%
- No. 2: 13.4%
- No. 3: 12.7%
- No. 4: 12.0%
- No. 5: 14.8%
- No. 6: 26.0%
- No. 7: 7.0%
(pick odds via Tankathon)
Projections for Houston’s own 2023 first-round pick
- Jonathan Givony, ESPN, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 18 years old, 6-2)
- Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report, No. 3 overall: Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-6)
- Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports, No. 3 overall: Brandon Miller (Alabama: Forward, Freshman, 6-9)
- Tankathon, No. 3 overall: Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-6)
- NBAdraft.net, No. 3 overall: Nick Smith (Arkansas: Guard, Freshman, 6-5)
- Kyle Boone, CBS Sports, No. 1 overall: Victor Wembanyama (France’s Metropolitans 92: Center, 18 years old, 7-2)
Check out Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.
Projections for Houston’s 2023 first-round pick via Milwaukee
- Jonathan Givony, ESPN, No. 28 overall: Nikola Durisic (Serbia’s KK Mega Basket: Wing, 18 years old, 6-8)
- Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report, No. 30 overall: Marcus Sasser (Houston: Guard, Senior, 6-2)
- Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports, No. 30 overall: Marcus Sasser (Houston: Guard, Senior, 6-2)
- Tankathon, No. 27 overall: Marcus Sasser (Houston: Guard, Senior, 6-2)
- NBAdraft.net, No. 30 overall: Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana: Forward, Senior, 6-9)
- Kyle Boone, CBS Sports, No. 27 overall: Chris Livingston (Kentucky: Forward, Freshman, 6-6)
Check out Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.
