After defying the odds, the Rockets jumped from picking at 9 to securing the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. What should the Rockets do with that pick? Well, there are many debates that have spurred in my head on whether the Rockets should trade down and get another veteran player around their young core or just select a solid rookie at pick 3. With this draft however, there is no blockbuster star such as Victor Wembanyama of the 2023 Draft, but the class overall seems to be deep with a lot of players who can be solid and contribute to winning at the next level. Most if not all draft sites have Alexander Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher going top 2, with their spots sometimes being rotated around. Past those two slots, though, it is random with players like Ron Holland, Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Stephon Castle, Nikola Topic, and Donovan Clingan all being linked to different picks in the top 10 selections. These players obviously have different impacts that they all uniquely bring to the floor, but they all would each bring the same impact for the Rockets, which could lead to why the idea of trading down could make sense.

Image of the 2024 NBA Draft Order. Courtesy of cbssports.com

Option 1: Draft at 3

In my eyes, there are only two options for the Rockets this year in the draft. Those options are to either take someone at pick 3 or trade down for a lower lottery pick. Unless the Rockets can get a cheap deal for a star player at 3, I can’t see a world where they completely trade out of a lottery pick this year. With drafting at 3, the Rockets would obviously be first to chose out of the names I listed before. The only issue with drafting here and not trading down would be making sure that the management makes the right pick. For example, as what happens in every draft, if they draft player X at 3 and player Y goes 4 and becomes a superstar while player X is only a rookie contract player, that could cause backlash from fans. I understand that you can’t predict the future on some of these athletes, but if you really nitpick their tendencies and watch their film, I feel that you can put yourself in the best position possible to have picked the right player. Looking at other big boards, the name that comes up the most frequently is literally nobody. It’s incredibly random actually, with most boards choosing between the four players of Rob Dillingham, Nikola Topic, Reed Sheppard, and Donovan Clingan. If I were Rafael Stone, and I had to choose somebody at pick 3, I would probably try and take either a big guard or a decently sized forward. I wouldn’t take Clingan because the Rockets already have Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Jock Landale at their center spot. Depending on what they’re looking for, I can see a world where they do take a player like Topic or Dillingham and have them develop under Fred VanVleet before his contract expires next season (unless the Rockets accept the team option for the following season). With what I’ve seen, there is also a possibility that we take Reed Sheppard because he is a very good shooter, something that never hurts to have, and he is a solid overall player. On top of this, taking a player like Ron Holland would be very interesting because the Rockets could have a deep forward lineup with Ron Holland, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason (considering that Cam Whitmore is planning to spend more time in the shooting guard position).

Option 2: Trade Down

With the randomness of this draft class, the Rockets could also trade down for a solid veteran that could provide valuable leadership towards the young players the Rockets have accumulated. If the Rockets have the ability to predict which player that other lottery teams are eyeing, it is possible for them to get their guy at 7 or 8 instead of 3. In many mocks, the players I listed at the beginning of this article are still available at 7 or 8 or potentially even later. I have seen a couple of mocks that put Rob Dillingham at 12, while some have him going at 3. The point is that no one really knows who’s going to get drafted where, which may change as we get closer to the late June draft days. If the Rockets do trade down, they should look to trade for a selling team that is looking to possibly restart, such as the Bulls. If Rafael Stone has the ability to trade for someone like a Zach LaVine and secure a pick at 11, there is a possibility they get their guy while also adding a former All-Star who can get buckets at a very consistent rate. The only issue with trading for LaVine is the massive contract that would come with him, but he would be an interesting piece to add to the Rockets offensive output.

Overall Thoughts

With the two possibilities in consideration, if I were Rafael Stone, I would probably opt to draft your guy at 3 unless you 100% know that he will be available at a later spot. If there was a shot to pick up a guy like Zach LaVine and everyone in management agreed with the decision, why wouldn’t you pull the trigger?