After some great lottery luck, the Rockets own the No. 3 selection in the 2024 NBA draft. However, Houston already has a roster filled with young talent, including a pair of rotation players selected in each of the previous three first-round classes.
And after a 41-41 campaign with year-on-year growth of 19 wins (most of any NBA team), general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka want to be in the postseason mix come 2025.
So, does Houston want to add another young player that could take time to develop? Or, might that No. 3 pick be used as part of a deal to acquire a veteran that could help win more games now?
Michael Scotto, who covers the NBA for HoopsHype, writes in his latest aggregate mock draft that trade talks involving the Rockets will remain active leading up to the June 26 draft.
Scotto reports:
The Houston Rockets are transitioning to a win-now mode and looking to take the next step to become a playoff team after significant progress from their young core under coach Ime Udoka.
The No. 3 pick — one of five potential first-round picks the Rockets can trade this offseason in a package to land a star player — will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.
Story: New 2024 NBA Mock Draft, including reporting on all teams with draft picks and exclusive interviews with numerous top prospects on @hoopshype. https://t.co/Y1e2ahhUP7
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 28, 2024
Should a deal not materialize, Scotto says the Rockets could select from several guards, including former Kentucky teammates Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Nikola Topic and Stephon Castle. Or, Houston could select Matas Buzelis, who can play both forward spots.
Scotto is less bullish on the potential of the Rockets drafting Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, saying “it’s hard to imagine a world where (Alperen) Sengun and Clingan play together when they occupy the same position.” Sengun is Houston’s starting center.
