NBA Mock Draft: Rockets Trade Down For Shooting And Frontcourt Help
HOUSTON — The 2023 NBA Draft will take place Thursday night inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Houston Rockets have two first-round picks entering the draft at No. 4 and 20. Bearing changes, the Rockets' draft selection will come down to Overtime Elite's Amen Thompson or Villanova's Cam Whitmore.
General manager Rafael Stone said in April that the Rockets would "consider trading picks for anything" if they landed outside the top three of the lottery.
In this latest mock draft, completed by Fanspo.com, the Rockets traded the No. 4 pick to the Washington Wizards. In return, Houston received the No. 8 pick and a second-round selection (42nd) to address frontcourt and shooting needs. With the No. 8 pick of the Fanspo mock, the Rockets selected Kansas' Gradey Dick.
Dick is a 6-foot-8 prospect described as an elite shooter and perhaps the best of his draft class. He averaged 14.1 points for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023 while shooting 40.3 percent from behind the arc.
The prospects linked to the Rockets at four are players who will not help a team that finished 30th in 3-point shooting percentage last season. Dick would help the Rockets improve their long-range shooting as a player who can create shots off the dribble or as a spot-up shooter.
Houston would also benefit from Dick's playmaking, which could help coach Ime Udoka's desire to improve the subpar ball movement.
The Rockets' next two selections landed Iowa's Kris Murray and Penn State's Jalen Pickett at picks No. 20 and 42.
Murray would give the Rockets an additional 3-point shooter while adding more depth to the frontcourt. Murray, who has the same attributes as his brother Keegan Murray, could also improve the Rockets' modest ability to crash the board. He averaged 12.1 points on 35.0 percent shooting from deep and added 5.0 rebounds in two seasons at Iowa.
As one of the purest point guards in the draft, Pickett has the potential to develop into a prominent floor general. He finished his five-year collegiate career averaging 15.8 points and 5.8 assists.
The Rockets could use the No. 20 pick for several different prospects. But there is a strong notion Houston could move on from the pick for future assets.
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