NBA Draft Rumors: Rockets Trading No. 4 Pick?
The Houston Rockets have a lot of paths they can take when it comes to the No. 4 pick in next month's NBA Draft.
The Rockets could opt to keep things simple and keep the pick, taking their best player available with the selection. The team could also look to trade out of the pick, which The Athletic confirms that there is interest from around the league.
"Multiple teams have already expressed interest in acquiring Houston’s lottery pick ahead of the June 22 draft, league sources, who were given anonymity to speak freely, said. One of the underlying themes of the combine and hot topics stemming from last Tuesday’s result among league personnel was the expectation of Houston, Portland and Detroit aggressively seeking trades centered around their picks, albeit for different reasons," Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes.
The Rockets have a desire to be better this season, especially considering that they don't control their 2024 first-round pick. If that pick lands outside of the top four, it will be conveyed to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook trade back in 2019.
The Rockets could look to trade that pick and move up in the draft if they prefer Scoot Henderson, who will likely be gone by the time Houston is on the clock ... or they could trade down or out, acquiring a player who helps the team win sooner.
It's a big decision for the franchise's future, which is why the Rockets would be smart to explore all possible options as the draft inches closer.
The 2023 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 22 at 7 p.m. CT from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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