Picks Who Dropped Out of the First Round That the Rockets Could Land on Day 2

The Houston Rockets were one of the few teams that did not have a first-round pick this season. With the 2026 NBA draft kicking off Tuesday evening, the Rockets were bystanders as other top Western Conference teams added to their already deep rosters.

The 2025 NBA champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, had two first-round picks. Selecting 7-3 big man Aday Mara with the 12th pick and 6-4 guard Bennet Stirtz with the 16th pick after moving up one spot. The team that knocked the defending champions out of this year's playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs, got even better with two of their own first-round picks.

The Spurs added more depth to their front court, drafting Jayden Quaintance with the 20th pick and Tarris Reed Jr. with the 26th pick after a trade with the Denver Nuggets. The top two teams in the conference got even better after day one of the NBA draft.

Almost every draft pick is a gamble, even the top picks, because you dont know if you are getting an Anthony Bennet or an Anthony Edwards. That is especially true in the second round, as a good number of players drafted there never play a minute in the NBA.

However, there are instances where teams find a diamond in the rough in the second round. Players like Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, more recently NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, and the most successful second-round pick of all time, multi-time MVP Nikola Jokic, are all players drafted in the second round who went on to have great NBA careers.

Now the Rockets have a chance to improve their roster with the 39th and 52nd picks in the 2026 NBA draft. A few players expected to go in on day one are now waiting to hear their names called on Wednesday.

Projected First-Round Picks That Have Fallen to the Second Round

In every NBA draft, a few players who were projected as first-round picks throughout the process don't hear their names called in the first 30 picks. Recent history hasn't meant much to the Rockets, as they have not been active in the second round of most drafts over the last 10 seasons.

In fact, the Rockets haven't had a second-round pick they drafted play a single NBA minute for them since Isaiah Hartenstein in 2017. The Rockets will be much more active in this year's second round, as they have two picks on Wednesday. Here are a few players who were expected first-round picks who are still on the board.

Meelek Thomas 6-3 Guard Arkansas Razorbacks

Isaiah Evans Guard/Forward Duke Blue Devils

Henri Veesaar Center, North Carolina Tar Heels

Of the three names above, Veesaar had the largest drop. The 6-11 big man is one of the best shooting front-court players in the draft, and he also averaged over 17 points a game for the Tar Heels. The big man seemed to have dropped off as teams were concerned about his lack of rebounding and shot-blocking while playing the center position.

For a team like the Rockets, which lacks shooting across the board, his 42.6 percent average from 3-point range would be a welcome addition. His lack of rebounding wouldn't be as big an issue, considering the Rockets have been one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA the last two seasons.

Evans is another player who many were suprised is still on the board for day 2. Evans is a combo guard/forward who, at times, served as the Blue Devils ' second-best player. The 3-point catch and shoot specialist shot twice as many 3-pointers last season as the season before, but still shot 36.1 percent from deep his last season in college.

Evans is the type of instant-offense player off the bench that the Rockets lacked last season, as the Rockets had one of the worst benches in the NBA. Evans will have to fill out his thin frame and improve on defense, but his ability to score quickly and provide an offensive spark is exactly what you look for this late in the draft.

Of course, the Rockets have eight teams ahead of them in the second round, and the players listed may already be off the board, but they could still move up, as they have two second-round picks and multiple future second-round picks.

If they feel any of the remaining players are someone they don't want to miss out on dont be suprised if the Rockets aren't aggressive when it comes to moving up the draft board Wednesday night.

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