Rockets Projected to Take SEC Forward with Suns Pick in Latest NBA Mock Draft

The Houston Rockets are one of the few teams within the last few years that has successfully built a playoff roster from homegrown talent. The organization has drafted plenty of lottery prospects in the post-James Harden era, and has since developed the rotation into what is now a team that has already eclipsed 40 wins within 65 games.

The Rockets have such an abundance of young talent that many players in the young core have struggled to find steady minutes this season. Rookies and sophomores such as Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore have shown promise, but have been put out of the rotation.

Despite sitting as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, Houston has the opportunity to stack up on more lottery talent, as it owns the Phoenix Suns' first-round pick this year. The biggest need for the Rockets comes at the backup center position. All-Star big man Alperen Sengun has been stellar this season, but Steven Adams is an aging veteran who has seen inconsistent minutes.

Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman projects the Rockets to take Asa Newell with the 12th pick in the draft. The Georgia freshman is averaging 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, a block for the Bulldogs, who hold a 20-11 record.

At 6-foot-11, Newell not only displays great athleticism for a frontcourt player, but is skilled on both sides of the ball. He can finish as well as any traditional big man and can defend at a high level, being able to guard most positions with his frame and footwork. However, Wasserman noted Newell's potential as a modern big, highlighting flashes of three-point shooting. He can play either frontcourt position, which would be a huge value-add for Houston.

"But it's really the shooting flashes and defensive versatility that could create a different level of upside for Newell to potentially hit," Wasserman wrote. "Becoming a regular three-point threat won't happen overnight, but he clearly has shotmaking skill and range (23 3PTM), which showed in high school as well. And his movement at 6'11" seems more than likely to translate well on defense."

The Rockets' depth and early success make their draft pick one of the most tradable ahead of June. It's important to note that Houston is in play for multiple stars this summer on the trade market, including Phoenix Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

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