Projections leading to the 2023 NBA draft have increasingly slotted Overtime Elite point guard Amen Thompson to the Houston Rockets with the No. 4 pick in the first round.
There is, however, another point guard expected to go high in the draft: Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite. It’s not so much that the Rockets wouldn’t be interested in Henderson. It’s that he appears likely to be picked by Charlotte at No. 2 or Portland at No. 3 and not be on the board.
There is, however, one way around that. Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the possibility is at least being entertained. He writes:
Charlotte could feasibly trade the pick, but the Hornets appear deep in internal deliberations between Henderson and Miller. There has been plenty of buzz about New Orleans and Toronto, in addition to Houston, registering interest in jumping up the draft board. …
It remains to be seen if Charlotte, holding the No. 2 pick, would entertain a legitimate offer from Houston, as the Hornets are also said to harbor playoff hopes for the 2023-24 campaign.
Trade chatter is abuzz around the NBA. Bradley Beal's potential exit from Washington has taken center stage, and the Bulls are gauging trade interest in Zach LaVine, league sources told @YahooSports. More from around the league ahead of next week's draft: https://t.co/jbeeeii7vK
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 15, 2023
Fischer writes the Rockets have attempted to bring Henderson to Houston for a pre-draft workout visit but without success. That’s fairly normal, since most top prospects don’t visit teams outside of their projected draft range. However, it could be viewed as a signal of Houston’s willingness to explore trade-up scenarios.
Should the Rockets strike a deal to move up before the draft, Henderson could visit at that time. Or, the Rockets could select or trade up for him even without a visit. That was the case in 2022 with Jabari Smith Jr., who didn’t work out with the Rockets because he didn’t expect to be on the board when Houston picked at No. 3.
It’s one of many storylines to follow as the 2023 NBA draft approaches on Thursday, June 22, starting at 7 p.m. Central.
