The NBA Draft Lottery just happened on Tuesday night, and the Houston Rockets ended up landing the third-overall pick in the draft. Considering they were projected to get the first pick, it wasn’t the ideal ending for Houston.
However, while they may not be picking first, having a top-three pick in this year’s draft is still amazing. There are a clear-cut group of top three prospects, and the Rockets will likely end up with one of them.
If the Rockets land Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., or Paolo Banchero, it would be amazing for their franchise. That being said, there’s no guarantee they’ll even be picking third, according to GM Rafael Stone.
Report: Houston Rockets open to trading third-overall pick in NBA Draft
Stone said that if a deal presents itself that would benefit both parties, he’d be willing to listen. This could make for a wild bidding way at the NBA Draft if enough teams are interested. (H/T Bleacher Report)
#Rockets GM Rafael Stone says he’ll listen to other general managers who express interest in trading for the third-overall pick: “If there’s something that makes sense for both teams it’ll get done.” pic.twitter.com/Wyhr5amax2
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) May 18, 2022
The Rockets selected Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun in the first round of last year’s draft, and while they’ll likely make another pick in the draft this year, Stone’s comments make it seem as though they may not pick at three.
Moving up seems unlikely. The Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder are two rebuilding teams who will probably want their pick of the litter of the top picks.
However, some teams who fell in the lottery could be willing to give up extra assets in order to jump up into the top three. In that case, it could be worth it for the Rockets.
One team that comes to mind is the Detroit Pistons. They were slated to have a top-three pick, but after falling to the fifth pick, they may want to move back up.
Other teams that come to mind are the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards. The Pacers may want to add to their current core, and if the Wizards lose Bradley Beal this summer, they could look to kickstart a rebuild.
Whatever happens, if the Rockets do end up making a move on draft night, it will be a wild turn of events. Make sure to keep an eye out to see if Houston shakes things up.