Mock Draft: Rockets Draft Unheralded All-Sun Belt Forward in Second Round

Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone expressed a desire to bolster the back end of the roster at his end of season press conference. Stone sat alongside Rockets coach Ime Udoka and the two agreed that the Rockets' best chance of improvement year over year will come by way of internal development.

Which is a fair take, as the team invested top-four draft picks in three of the team's young guns -- Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. In addition, Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason were selected with fringe lottery draft picks.

Eason was selected with the 17th draft pick and Sengun was selected 16th overall, albeit technically by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets have two second round draft picks in the draft later this month.

The team could take a number of different twists and turns with those picks, Especially since second-round picks have become trade fodder over the years across the NBA landscape.

In fact, last year, the Rockets and Phoenix Suns struck a deal for Kevin Durant, in which the Rockets sent the Suns five second-round draft selections, in addition to Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the tenth pick of last year's NBA Draft.

As it currently stands, the Rockets still own the picks. Which could present a golden opportunity to add a difference maker at a relatively low cost.

Based on the latest mock draft by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the Rockets are projected to add unheralded big man Wyatt Fricks from Marshall with the 53rd pick. Wasserman compares Fricks to Dean Wade, the seven-year veteran for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wasserman gave his reasoning for the Rockets' selection of Fricks.

"Wyatt Fricks is earning workouts after making 51 threes and blocking 48 shots. He's an interesting late second-round option for teams interested in adding a stretch big who keeps improving his shooting."

Fricks was used sparingly through his first four seasons with the Thundering Herd. In fact, his most significant playing time through those first four seasons came in year three, and that was only a workload of 18.2 minutes.

This past season, Fricks averaged 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.3 stocks, 55.2 percent from the field, 70.2 percent on two pointers and 34.7 percent from deep (on 4.6 attempts). He also played 29.2 minutes and made All Sun-Belt Conference.

Fricks has a solid inside-out game and is underrated as a cutter, knowing how to get to the rim. He also has good defensive fundamentals and a good foundation defensively.

His outside shot has improved much but remains a work in progress. We'll see what happens later this month in the draft.

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