Rockets Draft: The Case for Selecting Cody Williams

In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets should consider selecting Colorado prospect Cody Williams.

Mar 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Cody Williams (10) looks on during | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

While the NBA Draft Lottery must take place to get full clarity on where teams will pick in the upcoming draft, the Houston Rockets are projected to select just inside of the top 10. Houston owns the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick, which will allow the Rockets to add one of the more promising players in this class. 

With no clear top prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft at this point, there’s quite a bit of variability in who could be available when the Rockets are on the clock. With that in mind, if Cody Williams is on the board when Houston drafts, he should be someone the front office heavily considers. 

Although he had an inconsistent freshman season at Colorado, his upside is as intriguing as anyone in this class. At 6-foot-8, he has the size to play at either forward position in the future, but also possesses guard skills. In fact, some of Williams’ most brilliant moments this season came when he was running point for the Buffaloes. 

The 19-year-old is the younger brother of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rising star, Jalen Williams. If his physical development is anything like his brother’s, the incoming draftee should only continue to fill out his frame and become an even more versatile player. 

In his lone season at Colorado, Williams proved to be an ultra efficient scorer. He converted on 58.8% of his shots from inside the arc, along with 41.5% of his triples. 

If he were to be added to the Rockets’ roster for next season, Williams would be the perfect complimentary piece. He’s able to play a variety of positions and doesn’t require a high number of shots to make an impact on the game. He could be the type of player with the ability to make an immediate impact as a rookie, but also develop through time and evolve into more of a primary piece. Williams would make the Rockets better immediately, but also has the upside to be a core piece longer term. 

There’s no guarantee that Williams will be on the board when Houston makes its pick, but he would be a fantastic pick if so.