Rockets Land Two-Way Forward in Second Round in Latest Mock Draft

He'd be a good pick if the team loses Tari Eason.

Feb 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

This year’s NBA draft lottery just took effect on Sunday, meaning we’re one step closer to the NBA Draft. The playoffs are still alive and well, but the second round is wrapping up also.

We’ve already seen a few endings to a handful of second-round matchups. And for the teams that have already seen their seasons end, like in the case of the Houston Rockets, they’ll have a great opportunity to focus on building next year’s roster. The draft figures to be a part of that.

And Houston has two second-round draft picks in this year’s draft. In the latest mock draft by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Rockets selected Virginia Tech forward Toby Lawal with the 53rd pick, which would be an interesting selection, especially if the team loses Tari Eason, who is now officially a restricted free agent, after he and the Rockets were unable to come to terms on an agreement of an extension prior to the start of the season.

Houston’s brass offered Eason and his representatives a deal worth more than $100 million. The guaranteed money was the hang-up, as the Rockets wanted an injury guarantee, while Eason’s camp surely wanted a fully guaranteed deal.

As it pertains to Lawal, he’s got a similar build as Eason. In fact, he’s listed at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds. Eason’s measurables are the exact same.

Lawal averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 54.2 percent from the field, 1.1 blocks, 66.1 percent on two-pointers and 76.3 percent from the foul line this past season. He’s an uber-athletic forward who boasts a reported 49.5 inch vertical.

He’s also great in transition, where his athleticism benefits him. He also plays through contact and is a great finisher around the rim.

And that doesn’t even account for his defensive contributions. Defensively, he’s switchable, as his size and athleticism allow him to defend multiple positions on the floor (if not every position on the floor).

He will certainly need to improve in several areas at the next level. For starters, he’s not exactly a consistent foul shooter. In fact, Lawal made just 64.1 percent of his foul shots during his junior season.

He also doesn’t exactly have a hard charging motor all of the time. He’s inconsistent, in that regard. He’s even admitted to a lack of aggressiveness, at times.

He’s shown flashes of being able to possibly anchor a defense. However, he does lack discipline on that end of the floor, at times. And he could stand to communicate a little more on that side.

All told, he’d certainly be a worthy selection for the Rockets, especially in the second round.