The Houston Rockets currently have four first-round picks on their roster from the 2021 NBA draft, two promising second-year players in Jae’Sean Tate and KJ Martin, and two first-round selections coming in the 2022 draft (their own and the higher of Miami and Brooklyn’s picks).
As a result, it isn’t easy with the current roster construction to find playing time for other young players to develop. Thus, if the Rockets acquire first-round picks at the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline for veterans such as Eric Gordon or Christian Wood, they are reportedly more interested in having those selections in future years than in 2022.