It’s NBA Draft week and for the rebuilding Rockets, that means so many different possibilities as Thursday night approaches.
The Rockets own the No.4 overall pick in the draft after missing out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes to San Antonio in the NBA Draft Lottery. How the Rockets draft will be telling about how they plan to attack this summer’s free agency with names like James Harden, Kyle Kuzma, Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet being mentioned as players who could be headed to Houston.
Should the Rockets take 6-foot-7 ball-handling guard Amen Thompson, as most predict then the Rockets are content to head into their fourth straight year of rebuilding with their young nucleus of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun. But if the Rockets trade their third consecutive lottery pick to teams looking to move up in this draft, that will be the first real indication general manager Rafael Stone and newly hired head coach Ime Udoka are ready to speed up the process.
What it all means is the Rockets have options.
A possible reunion with Harden has the NBA and city of Houston excited right now with free agency looming next month. Harden, who opted out of his $35.6 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, is rumored to desire a return to Houston, the city he forced his way out of a few years ago after establishing himself here as an elite player.
The Rockets haven’t shown their hand either way where Harden is concerned. But if they are serious about bringing the veteran point guard back home, they would probably look to bring veteran small forward Kuzma to blend in with Green, Smith and Sengun. Udoka is also believed to covet Vanfleet at point guard should the Harden reunion not come to fruition.
As of right now, the Rockets’ two most glaring needs are a ball-handling point guard and a versatile small forward, who can score and defend. Thompson and all his upside seem to be the best option should the Rockets resist trading their lottery asset while hanging on to the 20th overall selection they acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller would nicely fit the Rockets’ two biggest needs, but both should be off the board after the second and third picks are made Thursday night. That leaves the Rockets with some intriguing options at the No. 4 slot.
Thompson, who has drawn comparisons to Chicago Bulls great and former Rocket Scottie Pippen, gives the Rockets a versatile player who can help in several ways. The only real concern with Thompson at this point is perimeter shooting where he shot just 25% from 3-point range for Overtime Elite this past season.
But Villanova’s Cam Whitmore’s name has gained some momentum in recent days and could still be a viable option as an off-ball scorer even if Harden returns. The Rockets could also turn to Thompson’s 6-foot-7 twin brother, Ausar Thompson, who is a high-volume scorer on the wing and can also finish around the rim.
Whichever way the Rockets will ultimately lean this week seems to be anyone’s guess, but the encouraging thing is they have options and seem willing to weigh them all.
