Houston Rockets: 5 options for pick No. 46 in 2018 NBA Draft
By Jason Elbaum
With the Houston Rockets’ season coming to a close, the team turns its attention to the 2018 NBA Draft, where it will have one selection at No. 46.
The Houston Rockets are coming off of a historic season where they won a franchise-record 65 games and finished with the top seed in the Western Conference. After losing in the conference finals in seven games to the defending champion Golden State Warriors, it’s back to the drawing board and that starts with the 2018 NBA Draft in June.
Even though the Rockets had an excellent season and showed their impressive depth, there is still definitely room for improvement and the draft is a great way for any team to fill a need. Houston will have an opportunity to add a talented young player while maintaining salary cap flexibility to address other needs in free agency.
The Rockets’ two weakest positions as of right now are clearly center and small forward. Clint Capela made major strides this season, but could receive a huge contract in restricted free agency from another team. Trevor Ariza is also eligible to be a free agent and is consistently one of the best defensive small forwards in the league, and the team struggled against the league’s best players when he was on the bench.
The 2018 NBA Draft class is expected to be particularly deep, headlined by Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma’s Trae Young, and potentially the best international prospect of all time in Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic at the top. The Rockets won’t have a chance to pick any of the high-end talents, but they could definitely find a gem with the 46th pick. Here are five options for them do so.