The Rockets were technically one of the winners on lottery night last month, claiming one of the top four spots up for grabs in the 2023 NBA draft.
However, Houston entered that night second in the lottery standings and was among three teams with the best odds for the No. 1 pick, so the fact that the club will be picking fourth on June 22 qualifies as a bit of a disappointment — especially in a draft with a consensus top three prospects.
Still, while the Rockets likely won’t get an opportunity to draft Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, or Brandon Miller, that No. 4 pick has plenty of value, either as tool to add another promising young player to their core or as a prime trade chip.
The latest mock drafts at ESPN, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, and The Athletic all have the Rockets using the fourth overall pick to draft Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson. A hyper-athletic, ball-handling guard with size (6’7″) and the ability to create shots for teammates, Thompson is an intriguing prospect, though he remains raw as a defender, his shot needs some time to develop, and he wasn’t really tested against top-level competition in the OTE setting.
While Thompson is widely considered the best prospect available at No. 4 if Wembyanama, Henderson, and Miller are off the board, his twin brother Ausar Thompson will be in the mix for Houston too. Ausar is the fifth-best prospect on ESPN’s big board and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report hears that both Thompsons are under “heavy consideration” at No. 4.
Kevin O’Connor wrote on Friday that he intends move Ausar ahead of Amen when his rankings at The Ringer are updated this week, arguing that Ausar has made more progress with his jump shot and has been the more effective defender of the two.
Of course, the Thompson twins aren’t the only players who will be on the Rockets’ radar at No. 4. Most recent mocks have Villanova wing Cam Whitmore coming off the board before Ausar, and local product Jarace Walker, a power forward who played for the Cougars, is considered a good bet to be drafted in the top half of the lottery.
What makes Houston’s choice all the more interesting is the fact that the club reportedly intends to push aggressively for a playoff spot in 2023/24, using its cap room to pursue veterans (including James Harden) who could help the team win right away. The Rockets don’t control their own 2024 first-round pick, so there’s little incentive for them to continue tanking (technically, the Rockets will keep their 2024 first-rounder if it’s in the top four, but even if they finish with the NBA’s worst record, there’s only about a 50/50 chance of that happening).
Houston could straddle the line between making a playoff push and continuing to build through the draft, using up to $60MM in cap room to sign or trade for veterans and still adding another young player to the core by using the No. 4 pick.
But if the franchise is serious about making a jump in the standings, that lottery pick would make an ideal trade chip in a deal for an impact player. They’d have to be realistic about the pick’s value – it likely wouldn’t bring back an All-Star caliber player unless it’s packaged with other strong assets – but it seems reasonable to assume it could be used to acquire a quality starter.
We want to know what direction you think the Rockets should go with that pick. Should they keep it or trade it? If they hang onto it, which prospect should they draft, assuming the consensus top three aren’t available? If they look to trade it, what kind of player can they realistically expect to land?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Signing Harden and trying to trade the 4 pick to a tax team is a fun idea. Bucks wouldn’t do it but adding Harden and Middleton is a interesting idea.
GS, Bucks, Nets, Sun’s, Clippers, Mav’s, Celtic’s and Hawks (Hawks are always cheap). Nets, Hawks want out of the tax.
I’d probably trade Jarrett Allen for 4 if I was the Cav’s. I don’t think that would happen amd the Rockets maybe wouldn’t do it but a Harden Allen PnR would be devastating. Donovan Mitchell and Allen had the most points per play for a PnR duo so Harden would destroy.
Imagine adding Harden, Jerami Grant and Jarrett Allen.
Cavs aren’t trading Allen for the #4 pick
I think you meant to say the rockets aren’t trading the #4 pick for jarret Allen… All this talk of the rockets trading away their young talent and/or draft picks to bring in a couple of expensive, past their prime players or a guy like Allen who does nothing to improve their championship chase is just a bunch of board sports writers speculating what the rockets should do and they clearly know nothing about basketball. Listen to the interviews with Ime and Stone and look at the moves they’ve made over the past couple of seasons. Yes they have cap space, but that doesn’t mean they use it to sign only one, way over priced player. The Rockets are a well run organization and have been for decades. This national narrative that they’re not is ignorant and uninformed.
Take a lot more than the #4 pick to get Allen
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Why would any of this happen. Rockets are rebuilding and have one of youngest teams in NBA. Stay the course with youth. There are no short cuts. You build a core first. Then you can take gambles.
Keep the pick and hold everyone this offseason. DO NOT acquire James Harden, or any other roaming superstar veteran. Stay the course for this year and next and then see what you need and who you can get. I’m hold hold hold hold if I’m Houston.
Exactly, which is what they are doing. Build their young core, bring in guys to compliment their current roster, and continue to accumulate assists through good signings and draft picks so if there is a move to be made, they can make it. The Rockets have typically always done this and nothing has changed. Them blowing up the roster to chase a ring now makes no sense. In a couple years, this team will have time to grow and play together (they’ll still all be under 25!) and most of the good teams in the west will be aged out. The Rockets know this, but it’s wild have few fans know this. You are one of the only ones I see comment that get it so thank you for that.
Read somewhere Raptors had approached Houston about a trade centred around #4 and OG. Why don’t Houston use this option to get up to #3 for Scoot?
Hou could trade #4, KPJ, KJ Martin and a protection 1st for OG and then flip him with Tate to Portland for #3 and filler?
Portland get a top player in OG and a good 2-way wing in Tate, while Keeping Murray, Simons etc and keeping Dame happy.
Raps get #4 a 20+ppg combo guard in Porter Jr and a good scorer in Martin who has a lot of potential. both very young talent, and another 1st rounder if their route really is rebuild.
However I may be just saying anything to avoid a reunion of Harden or any other past prime “star” joining for valuable assets.
If the Celtics had a competent GM, they would offer Jaylen for the 4th pick
Neither Amen, Walker nor Whitmore would be an upgrade. They’d have to blow up half the roster and shoot for the #3 pick if they dealt Brown.
It would be more than the 4th pick. Eason is a perfect Celtic player profile. It could be 4th, Eason, KMJr, a future pick or 2 and a 22 million dollar trade exception.
Not that I’m suggesting the Cs should do this because I’d just add another guy via mini MLE or trade, resign Grant Williams and run it back.
But….the Cs will win at least 50 games with or without Jaylen Brown.
Nah because Brown contract coming up and he isn’t resigning with Boston. His value isn’t as good on an expiring contract
Yea but theyre losing Brown. Horford too old. Grant gone. Brogdon had a pretty healthy season but that won’t last. I don’t know whats up with Rob Williams. They need some security for the future
Williams (whom I like a lot) is really a reserve power forward-center. He’s not a starter and is not a star by any means. He has a use, but it’s for 15-20 minutes a game. The Celtics need a reliable center. Preferably under 30.
No way Celtics get a rookie next year. They were a Jayson Tatum ankle from the finals. Plus Brown is worth more than just 4th. Middleton and Harden is 8th in the West. How the Rockets go will shape the NBA off season. Harden would be a fool not to ride another year with Philly is he wants a Ring.
A Jason Tatum ankle away from the finals? The Celtics lost four games.. did he have an injured ankle all four games?
Might as well blame the refs too as you types usually do. Injuries and refs prevented us from a ring or from winning or from whatever. The refs screw every team. Injuries happen to every guy. They’re all nicked up at this point. Scoreboard.
I’ll add this as well, if Tatum hadn’t rolled his ankle he would have disappeared as Tatum does sometimes.
A Jason Tatum ankle away from the finals.., please.
Celtics win game 7 on a healthy ankle. Go back to your Aldo Nova world!
Spike, was Jason Tatum healthy the other three losses? You can’t pin game 7 on a twisted ankle by one of your guys. It’s way more than one game.
The Miami Heat have done just fine missing one of their main guys almost the entire playoffs.
Yeah that 4th pick will fix everything…..
You can’t really care about Celtics.
Boston were lucky to get past 76ers, harden and Embiid threw in the towel. And were very lucky not to be swept by Heat.
A neutral watching both series saw Boston weren’t the better team in either series. Not saying they weren’t one of the best in the league this year. But they were definitely not “a Tatum ankle from finals”. Could just as much say Heat were a Jimmy last second 3 from finals LY, but that one would be correct.
Browns value is somewhere between Harden to Philly from BKN and Mitchell to Cavs. But that’s a big gap. Depends what someone is willing to pay.
Keep the pick and take Amen.
Trade KPJ to the Nets for Ben Simmons, #21, Phx 25 1st, Philly 27 1st, and Cam Thomas.
That is a good use of cap space. And if Ben decides he wants play so be it. If not, use his salary next year in a trade.
Nets get out from Ben relatively cheap and get a scoring guard, albeit not my favorite one, but he has minimal risk with the non-guaranteed years.
Imo the best case scenario would be to trade up for Scoot. He is the perfect piece for this young team at this time. He is everything Porter is not. I just wonder if Blazers would want Porter. If not I’d trade him to another team.
Scoot is the right player to lead this team to playoff status and beyond. Smith and Green are future stars. There are some good rotation pieces here. Udoka is a good coach. Scoot is the real PG that can run his offense.
Blazers probably not moving their pick. Unless some team overwhelms them (overpays). Rockets should swing for the fences here.
I’d only trade for Scoot here. Keeping the pick. You take Amen Thompson. He’s got 2way star written all over him.
They probably wouldn’t want KPJ, but if you did a 3 team deal…
Blazers get Royce, DFS, #4
Rockets get #3, Knox, Little
Nets get KPJ and #43.
Rockers take Scoot. Blazers take top guy on their board. Or flip #4 and Simon’s for someone?
Now if Jaylen Brown is available for the #3 pick this is moot.
Harden, Amen Thompson and Austin Reaves are starters
Jalen Green and Porter are bench material?
Solid 5-guard rotation
I knew I’d seen such an NBA Game 7 conference final before, so devoid of forethought and planning and so rich in self-defeat that it would stick in my head as impossible.
The Celts chose to lose by trying to make 42 3-point heaves, succeeding just nine times (21 percent), and were unable or unwilling to come up with an alternative approach.
As reader Scott Russell put it, “At what point does one realize, ‘Hey, this ain’t working, Jack, let’s try something else’ ”?
Then it hit me: the 2018 Western Conference finals, Game 7, Warriors at Rockets. The Rockets did the same as the Celts did Monday: They played bombs-away ball, unanswered prayers posed as big-game basketball.
The Rockets lost at home, 101-92, on relentlessly bad 3-point shooting: 7-for-44 (16 percent). James Harden was 2-for-13.
Like Boston’s Game 7 on Monday, it was unforgettable, if not unforgivable, for senseless, highest-level pro basketball.
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This writer actually got it right. To me this was a rookie coach. Letting his stars dictate the outcome of a gm. Unfortunately it was a gm 7. A Tatum strength is his shooting. But even great shooters have off nights. The greatest FG% leaders in NBA history are all bigs. The first non big on the list at #61 is Dave Twardzik a 6’ 1” guard (.5274%).
Do you understand what a good shot is now. Tatum is 6’9”.
3PT shot came into NBA in 1979-80 season. Greatest shooters by % are …….
link to basketball-reference.com
Kerr is tops at (.4540%). But we all know he needed a good look. Duncan and MJ gave him that. Steph is at #12 (.4275%). Steph can get his off, on his own. But he wasn’t the first. Nash actually comes in at #11 (.4278%).
But the FIRST was Petro #3 (.4374%).
Dražen Petrović was the first 3PT assassin. Not Steph …. It’s real simple. If your shot is not falling. And even the best of all time miss 6 out of ten shots. You take it to the rim. Or you work it towards the rim. It’s called High % offense. It’s called playing to Win ….
You don’t throw up prayers ……..
Jason Tatum was 1-4 in gm7
Jalen Brown was 1-9 in gm7
Derrick White was 2-9 in gm7
Marcus Smart was 1-6 in gm7
But Jason Tatum’s ankle lost that game?
There is no way Celtics are moving Jalen. Unless he wants out. Or someone Overpays for him. You don’t break this up over one gm or one yr. I do believe Celtics need to retool. Moving Smart for a real PG. A playmaker is what improves this team.
The should just trade all their young players for picks. These guys aren’t winners. No point in countinuing with this core of guys. Jalen Green shoots almost every shot like hes at a sunday afternoon cookout. Jabari Smith got drafted so high because of guys like Stephen A saying he has “that dog” in his. Meanwhile they were complaining how Chett said he likes mac n cheese, pathetic. Double standards in the NBA
I’m not sure what Stephen a smith having a double standard has anything to do with the rockets roster so that’s a weird argument. But I’ll address what you said about Jalen and jabari. They have a combined 3 years of nba experience and are both 21 or younger. Go look at guys making all nba teams this year and see what they were doing in their first and second years of basketball. It’s wild that you think the rockets should give up on them, the only conclusion I can come up with is that you don’t watch the rockets and really don’t know much about basketball, except for what you watch guys on ESPN talk about. And that’s okay, maybe just don’t have discussions in sports threads about it.
Greens job was to score, considering only Edwards and part time Lamelo has scored more per game from anyone over the last 3 drafts this year, I’d say he’s doing his job for a guy who’s just turned 21.
“But efficiency”. Yeah it’s not great but if anyone took the time to actually watch the mess that is the rockets this season you’d know exactly why.
Double standards are calling players like Cade and Paolo lock superstars then calling green a “bust” as people love to say. When all three have had poor efficiency, yet Greens usage is lower and has to concede the ball to Porter Jr 70% of the time. I’m not discrediting either as I agree they could all be future stars that includes Green. But we all need to remember these are kids and writing them off when they’ve clearly had a very good season is a sign something is wrong.
Also Smith is an emotional mess, get his head right, he can be a 2-way star. But remember he’s a lot younger than the others that were drafted around him. Can’t write a 6’11” kid who can shoot like KD because he makes the wrong calls at 19.
Houston will make the wrong decision no matter what but what they should do is just be patient and rebuild the correct way which is ignoring James Harden and using the draft.
Personally not a big fan of this draft class beside the top 3. Think theres definitely talent to be found around 20-30 but 4-15 isn’t really a good spot to be in, personally. So with that said I’d be trying to package the pick and some salary fillers for a young player player that fits well with your core.
Trae Young would be a good target, and a cheaper alternative would be Cole Anthony.
I’d also have eyes and ears for Rob Williams, Isiah Stewart, Terrance Mann and Trey Murphy.
IMHO I would not trade the pick but just stay the course we’re on. Take Jarius Walker at #4 and Dereck Lively II at #20 because we need the height and the muscle inside going forward and I believe Lively can deal with Wimpy from France. Then try to make a deal for Austin Reaves. We have the coach on board.