2 Shooters the Rockets Could Target in the Second Round Wednesday

Alas, the 2026 NBA Draft is underway. The first round is already in the books and the second round kicks off on Tuesday.

The Houston Rockets didn't have any first round picks but hold two picks in the second round, at 39 and 53. There was speculation that the franchise would possibly look to package those picks in order to trade up into the first round but the Rockets managed to resist the temptation (if they were ever even tempted at all).

Which isn't a bad idea, considering Houston’s lack of depth on the roster. The Rockets especially need shooting.

They averaged just 31.5 outside attempts, which ranked 28th in the league. In today's game, that's not quite good enough. Teams hoist an avalanche of threes. It's become a math game.

With that being said, let's take a look at several sleeper prospects still on the board, who have an outside shooting specialty and/or players capable of generating offense.

Tyler Nickel- Vanderbilt Wing

If Tyler Nickel had it his way, he'd be returning to the collegiate ranks. However, he wasn't able to secure another year of college eligibility.

He's instantly one of the best shooters in the class. Elite shooter is an understatement. He made over 40 percent of his outside attempts on a healthy volume -- over 7 attempts per contest (7.6 attempts, to be exact).

Nickel also made 40.5 percent of his threes as a junior, on 6.1 attempts, so this wasn't just a one-time fluke. He averaged 13.5 points per contest, despite being limited offensively to merely just shooting. As he continues to develop, he could morph into a nice NBA player and would be a steal in round two.

Richie Saunders - BYU Guard/Wing

Richie Saunders had a very good four-year run at BYU, which was capped off by averaging 18 points per game on 37.6 percent shooting from deep as a senior. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL just a handful of months ago, which led to his Draft Day slide (although it wasn't an unexpected one).

However, he can shoot. He averaged 40 percent from long-range over his four-year career with BYU. He also boasts good size at 6-foot-5 and is a more mature prospect, at age 25, following two years of missionary service.

Saunders has been shooting up the draft boards, in spite of his torn ACL, which shows just how formidable of a shooter he is.

Houston will have options at the shooter skill in round two tonight, if they choose to go that direction.

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