Rockets Draft Lottery Odds Revealed Via Brooklyn Nets Pick

As part of the blockbuster trade with the Nets, the Houston Rockets will have a chance to land one of the top draft prospects during the 2024 NBA Draft.

HOUSTON — General manager Rafael Stone does not expect to make significant changes to the Houston Rockets roster this summer.

Stone is content with the talent that led the franchise to their first winning season in four years with a 41-41 record. He also believes the return of Steven Adams and Tari Eason will provide an extra boost to help the Rockets reach their postseason aspirations next season.

But by missing the playoffs, the Rockets will have a chance to add arguably their most impactful player during the 2024 NBA Draft. Due to the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021, the Rockets will obtain a prominent lottery prospect for the fourth consecutive year.

Brooklyn's pick is projected ninth overall, which is a 50.7 percent chance. The selection has a 4.5 percent chance of reaching No. 1 overall during the Draft Lottery in May.

Although the 2024 NBA Draft will not feature a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama, holding the top overall selection would give Stone more flexibility when re-tooling his most successful roster as general manager.

"I like my team — I think potentially, we are just bringing back everyone that we have," Stone said. "That doesn't mean we won't look at things, but we are not sitting here today feeling like, 'Oh, we need to go get player X.'

"The guys we have in the locker room, we are excited to bring back. We will look at things. If we find someone, we think is special, we will look strongly at that. But from my perspective, it is not like we have a gaping hole."

Holding the Nets lottery selection will be huge for the Rockets this off-season. Due to the Rockets deal that sent Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook in 2019, the Rockets owe their respective pick to OKC — unless it falls within the top four.