Inside The Rockets

Could Rockets Draft and Stash 2025 Pick?

The Houston Rockets may look towards Europe for their next draft pick.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have a youth movement in full swing, but they still hold a first-round pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

Next summer's draft class is expected to be one of the best in recent memory with Duke freshman Cooper Flagg headlining the talent.

The Rockets are expected to pick somewhere between the middle and late part of the round, and SB Nation analyst Ricky O'Donnell has Houston taking French prospect Noa Essengue.

"Essengue is a 17-year-old French forward who is already productive in the German league playing for Ulm. The mobile 6’9 forward impresses with his defensive ground coverage, ability to clean the glass on both ends, and his efficient finishing inside. He scored 20 points in a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers this season where he looked more comfortable shooting from three than he had showed to this point. His lack of elite length will be a knock, but if the shot keeps coming around, his strong feel for the game could earn him looks near the end of the lottery," O'Donnell writes.

Essengue is very raw and the Rockets might be able to convince him to stay in Europe for a little while longer as Houston wouldn't be able to offer him a spot in the rotation.

Assuming the Rockets still have this pick in June, this could be a creative way to move forward.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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