The Rockets hold a lot of power in the upcoming draft.
With the Boston Celtics crowning another champion this past week, the NBA’s attention has shifted to the June 26 draft. Of course, the Houston Rockets have been no stranger to the top of the draft for the last several years, as they have picked in the top four the previous three seasons, and again, in this draft, they will possibly be drafting the number three pick.
The keyword is “possibly” as, for the first time in the last few seasons, the Rockets are strongly considering trading the pick or trading back in the draft for additional picks and adding players via the trade. Kelly Iko of The Athletic recently broke the news that multiple teams, including Charlotte, Memphis, and Portland, have aggressively tried to move into the top three. Teams are trying to draft ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who currently hold the number four pick.
Also, the stocks of Connecticut’s Donvan Clingan and Reed Shepard have accelerated teams’ interest in moving up. Iko also reported that Clingan is gaining momentum as the Rockets’ number one prospect.
Donovan Clingan is gaining momentum as the No. 1 prospect for the Houston Rockets — with Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard closely behind — ahead of next week’s draft, league sources tell @TheAthletic.
More from Draft Notebook 2.0: https://t.co/4D2wD89kSR
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 20, 2024
That gives the Rockets brass a lot of power going into the draft — maybe the most, considering the Rockets were projected to be drafted later in the lottery and not the top three before the draft lottery results. A big difference between this draft and the last three is that the Rockets aren’t desperate to add another possible young talent. This draft also isn’t considered one of the stronger drafts. The Rockets have multiple ways this draft could go.
However, draft and trade season sometimes bring out false rumors and smoke screens. The news that Clingan is moving up the Rocket’s draft boards goes hand in hand with teams wanting to move up. What’s the best way to get teams interested in moving up in the draft? Tell everyone you might take the player ahead of them in that draft. As I mentioned earlier, the Rockets could take several paths in this draft.
They could trade out the draft completely and try to bring in a win-now player, trade back with a team like the Memphis Grizzlies, and maybe bring in Marcus Smart along with the ninth pick, or just stay where they are and draft at number three. I have said multiple times that I would trade the pick and try to upgrade your starting lineup, but trading back also seems like a great option.
Whatever they decide, one thing is guaranteed. The Rockets are in a position of power they have not been in when it comes to the draft for a very long time, and their decision on June 26 could have a long-lasting impact.
In the comments, what do you think the Rockets should do with the third overall pick?