CBS Sports Mock Draft Has Rockets Selecting Familiar Target in Second Round

Would it be a good pick?

Dec 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone looks on during practice before the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Last year, the Houston Rockets lacked guard depth. Both scoring guards and point guards.

It's been a roster issue for a while now. Dating back to John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr.

In recent years, it was masked by Fred VanVleet, who soaked up a ton of minutes. In fact, VanVleet ranked sixth in minutes played in his first season with the Rockets.

VanVleet played 35.2 minutes per night in his second season with the Rockets and 40 minutes per night in the Rockets' postseason series against the Golden State Warriors. Which is all good and well, until VanVleet got injured last season.

The Rockets didn't have a replacement option for him. They also didn't replace him externally, unless you count JD Davison, who barely received minutes all season, as Houston mulled whether or not to sign him to a traditional deal. 

The latest mock draft by CBS Sports senior basketball analyst Adam Finkelstein has the Rockets solving that problem after all. With Houston's 39th pick (their first of two draft picks), the Rockets select Braden Smith of Purdue.

Finkelstein's analysis is below:

"Smith is a pure point guard and one of the all-time great passers in college basketball history. With Fred VanVleet having a player option, Smith gives the Rockets insurance at the point guard position."

This isn't the first time that we've seen Smith mocked to the Rockets. In fact, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic made an identical projection in The Athletic's mock draft.

Smith is a bit diminutive, much like VanVleet. However, he morphed into one of the greatest pure point guards in the history of the NCAA. His court vision is unquestioned.

This past year, he led the nation in total assists. He's also one of just two players to post over 300 assists in multiple seasons (joining only Avery Johnson).

Smith is the all-time leader in assists and is the only player in NCAA history with 1500 points, 1000 assists and 500 rebounds. 

Last season, the Rockets ranked at or near the bottom of the league in passing. Houston ranked 22nd in passes made and 21st in assists.

VanVleet will be back, as he's expected to make a full recovery from his ACL surgery. We never heard about any setbacks.

But it's far from a guarantee that a 32-year-old and 10-year veteran will return as the same player as before the injury. In that case, should the Rockets look to add guard depth in the draft?

Perhaps, if the team is signaling that they don't intend to add playmakers elsewhere during the offseason.