Mock Draft: Rockets Make Safe Bet with Third Pick

It doesn't get much safer than that.

Jan 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone looks up on the court before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into next week's 2024 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets find themselves in a position of leverage. The franchise is on the up-and-up, after nearly doubling their win total from the previous season.

Yet and still, they've managed to secure yet another top-three draft pick, by way of the Brooklyn Nets. 

The Rockets don't necessarily need the pick, due to the young talent that's accumulated throughout the Rockets' rebuild, hence the Rockets' openness and willingness to deal the pick, should they find a deal of their liking.

The latter part is the most challenging part and the Rockets' brass isn't motivated to make a move just for the sake of making a move. 

There's no telling what GM Rafael Stone will do, should the team actually keep the pick, as the team has multiple needs. In fact, the Rockets don't even know what they're doing yet, as it'll depend heavily on what happens ahead of them.

For this reason, draft prognosticators enjoy predicting the Rockets' pick at number three, because it's largely a mystery. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic's latest mock draft has the Rockets taking Kentucky's Reed Sheppard. 

Vecenie's explanation is below.

"The Rockets don’t have a “need” among their young core positionally, which allows them to explore several avenues with this pick. Unsurprisingly, league sources continue to believe the Rockets will explore trading it.

For now, I went with Sheppard. His stock is polarizing, with more analytically inclined organizations seeing him as a No. 1 pick contender and others viewing him more as a late lottery pick due to his lack of size. The Rockets can afford to take a chance on him because he is an ideal connective piece for their young talent. In particular, he’s an elite shooter, which is the one skill this young core lacks. 

While Smith can hit from the perimeter, Green has had stretches of great shot-making and Whitmore has the potential to fill it up, teams don’t guard Eason, and neither Şengün or Thompson are proficient marksmen.

Sheppard also thinks the game at an elite level and quickly moves the ball to get everyone involved. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting an absurd 53.6 percent from the field and 52.1 percent from 3. He also blocked nearly a shot per game and grabbed 2.5 steals."

If the Rockets do select Sheppard, they'd be immensely better at long-range shooting, and they'd also be bolstering their playmaking. 

Both of which were major deficiencies for the franchise last year.

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