On many occasions of late, it’s been reported that NBA teams are inquiring about making a trade for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft. The general narrative seems to be that given Houston’s existing young core, the Rockets might prefer a veteran influence to help elevate that talent, as opposed to adding yet another prospect.
Now, according to beat writer Kelly Iko, we know the identity of one of those teams. In comments made on Saturday’s The Athletic NBA Show, Iko says the Toronto Raptors have called about a deal.
“The Raptors have called,” Iko says on the podcast. “There are teams that still believe that No. 4 is a pretty damn good pick, and there are teams that are going to want to acquire that pick.”
The Raptors’ own draft pick in 2023 isn’t until No. 13, so the primary compensation would have to come elsewhere. Toronto does have two veteran forwards in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam that could help the Rockets as they attempt to transition to phase two of their rebuild, but both can become free agents after next season.
Since Houston isn’t on the verge of contending for a championship, previous reporting has indicated that general manager Rafael Stone would likely prefer to wait until the 2024 offseason and potentially sign such a player in free agency, in that type of scenario.
Theoretically, Toronto could offer 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who is on good terms with Houston’s Jalen Green. But it remains to be seen whether Barnes is potentially on the table and/or if the Rockets would value him enough to lose the No. 4 pick.
The complete podcast episode can be listened to below.
