3 Best Draft Targets for Rockets with 44th Pick in 2024 NBA Draft

There will be many good options at 44 for Houston.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; The 2024 NBA draft class poses for photos before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft came and went, and saw the Houston Rockets select Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard with the third overall pick. The Rockets also have the 44th pick in the draft, giving them an opportunity to make a second-round selection for the first time in six years.

The Rockets' last second-round selection was De'Anthony Melton in 2018 and he never suited up for the franchise. As the Rockets could have several tantalizing options at number 44, let's look at a few of them.

3. Jamal Shead (Point Guard | University of Houston)

Jamal Shead isn't much of a shooter by any stretch of the imagination. He made just 31 percent from deep in each of his final two seasons in college, and even that was a major improvement over the first two seasons (26.8 percent through his first two seasons with the Houston Cougars).

But he doesn't have to he a shooter to provide value for this Rockets team. Especially now that Reed Sheppard is in the fold (although the Rockets could still use more shooters).

Shead provides secondary playmaking at the point guard position, which was a major hole for the team last season. The Rockets were forced to turn to Aaron Holiday as their back-up floor general, which certainly wasn't the original plan. 

Drafting Shead in the second round would give the franchise a reserve point guard and a gritty, tenacious defender who plays much bigger than his frame.

2. PJ Hall (Center | Clemson)

PJ Hall was one of the more productive big men in the country this past season, as he averaged 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 48.8 percent from the field, and 77.9 percent from the charity stripe. Hall was a huge component of Clemson's Elite 8 appearance in the tournament. 

Hall will definitely not be a superstar at the next level, but how many players in this year's class will? Hall is an underrated passer who sets solid screens and can play alongside other bigs. And his awareness and basketball IQ is also impressive. 

He can play through contact and his game has an old school feel to it, as he plays well in the post, with his back to the basket. Hall can also knock down the occasional 3-point shot (31.3 percent on 4.6 attempts last season) but he's far from a sniper.

Defensively, Hall plays with high energy and intensity. He also has great recovery ability and is a really good drop defender. The Rockets could do much worse than PJ Hall in the second round.

1. Adem Bona (Center | UCLA)

You've heard it many times before, I'm sure, but Ime Udoka is a defensive mastermind. It's how the Rockets went from one of the worst defenses in the league in 2022-23 to the ninth-best defense in 2023-24. 

Udoka emphasizes that end of the floor, which was part of the impetus of the Rockets' decision to bring in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. The Rockets also tried bringing in Brook Lopez but were left hanging at the altar.

For this reason, many thought the Rockets were going to draft Donovan Clingan. Although the team didn't land Clingan, they can still nab a defensive-minded big man in Adem Bona, the UCLA center who won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Bona is a tad bit undersized for a center (6-foot-8) but it didn't stop him from being an absolute menace on defense, as the sophomore center averaged right around three stocks per contest last season (1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals). The 6-foot-10 big man plays like his hair is on fire, as he has an uncharacteristically high motor, in addition to a 7-foot-4 wingspan. 

He also grabs rebounds and sets screens. Think Bismack Biyombo or Clint Capela in their primes. 

He's not a stretch-five, as you wouldn't want him even thinking about taking threes. But he'd be a great value pick at 44.

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