Inside The Rockets

Rockets Make NBA Draft Interesting at No. 3

The Houston Rockets hold a lot of cards after Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery.
Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the
Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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The Houston Rockets are excited after landing another top-three pick in the NBA Draft following the results of Sunday's lottery drawing.

It marks the fourth consecutive year that the Rockets hold a top-four pick in the draft, and now, they have a lot to work with.

That being said, this year's draft class is considered to be historically weak, but having the No. 3 overall pick is exciting for the franchise. In the absolute worst case scenario, they select a player with a lot of upside.

That player won't have to play right away or be expected to carry the franchise into the playoffs. The Rockets are already working with six young prospects from the past three drafts that all have their own upside and potential.

Because of that, there is reason to believe the Rockets may end up trading the No. 3 overall pick. There could be a number of teams looking to trade into the top three slots, and the Rockets should definitely entertain any offers that come their way. There should be some movement, and Houston should be open for business.

At the end of the day, the Rockets have another asset — and that is cause for celebration. Regardless of what the pick becomes, whether a trade piece or a player, the Rockets have something that will help their team far more than the No. 9 pick would have.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.