Rockets Add Final Four Center in Mock Draft

The Houston Rockets could take a decorated college basketball player in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) raise the East Region trophy after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets could end up selecting in the lottery once again despite having one of the five best records in the NBA thanks to holding the rights to the Phoenix Suns' first-round draft pick this year.

Depending on where the Suns finish in the standings, the Rockets could have a pick pretty high in the lottery.

CBS Sports writer Adam Finkelstein conducted a recent mock draft where the Rockets selected Duke center Khaman Maluach with the No. 13 overall pick.

"Maluach is a shot-blocker, lob threat, and rim runner – just the archetype that has translated so frequently in recent years – not to mention an ideal complement to Alperen Sengun. The worst case scenario here is that Houston gets their backup center. The best case is that they find a way to pair the two bigs at times and create jumbo lineups and consequent mismatches," Finkelstein writes.

This season, Maluach is averaging 8.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Maluach was one of the top players in last year's high school class, and fits the Rockets in the long run. Houston has experimented with two-big lineups with Sengun and Steven Adams late in the season, so Maluach could take over if Adams doesn't re-sign with the team.

The Rockets could also keep Adams and have Maluach learn behind him, taking backup center Jock Landale's role on next year's team.

Maluach and his Blue Devils still have unfinished business in college as they will compete in this weekend's Final Four in San Antonio.