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2023 NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama Selected First Overall By Spurs - Tracker

The Houston Rockets and the NBA represent a constantly-in-motion thing ... and Inside The Rockets, powered by Sports Illustrated, is here to chronicle all news and rumors regarding the 2023 NBA Draft.

Coty M. Davis

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HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets are determined not to finish the 2023-24 season at the bottom of the league for the fourth consecutive year.

Owner Tilman Fertitta and general manager Rafael Stone have expressed that the Rockets have moved forward with phase II of their rebuilding project, which led to the decision to replace former coach Stephen Silas with Ime Udoka in April. 

The Rockets feel they have the right coach to help elevate the franchise out of basketball purgatory. But the most important job will be the re-tooling of Houston's roster.

The Rockets have two first-round picks entering the 2023 NBA Draft. And whether they trade the picks for an established star or acquire promising prospects, the draft will play a significant role in the enhancements the Rockets can make to their roster. 

The results of the NBA Draft lottery will reveal whether or not Houston will strike gold with the No. 1 overall pick. And due to the trade deadline deal that sent Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston will have the No. 20th selection. 

JUNE 22 SPURS TAKE VICTOR WEMBANYAMA WITH NO. 1 PICK

The marriage between the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama is official. The Spurs opened the 2023 NBA Draft by selecting Wembanyama as the No. 1 overall pick.

Wembanyama said his goal is to become an all-time great. And by joining the Spurs, he will have a blueprint to accomplish his lifetime dream. As a member of Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points on 47.0 percent shooting from the field, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

"For me, San Antonio is synonymous of winning," Wembanyama said at the NBA Draft media availability Wednesday morning. "As a franchise that has that culture and experience in winning and creating good players, I cannot wait." 

JUNE 21 ROCKETS MOVING UP FROM THE 20TH PICK?

The Rockets once gave the notion of trading out of the lottery had they missed out on a chance to land a top-3 draft pick. But a day before Thursday's draft, Houston is trying to move up from the 20th pick. And according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Rockets are trying to move as far up as the No. 10 selection.

"One interesting wrinkle to Houston’s interest is the prospect of moving up from the No. 20 pick. Conversations up to this point are mainly conceptual, but there have been discussions about potentially moving up from 20 to a range anywhere from the Miami Heat at No. 18 to the Dallas Mavericks at No. 10, sources say." — Kelly Iko

The Athletic added that several teams have contacted the Rockets about trading for the No. 4 pick, but Houston appears more likely to keep the selection. The Rockets are the favorite to land Overtime Elite prospect Amen Thompson at four.

JUNE 15 ROCKETS HELD A PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT WITH WENDELL GREEN JR.

According to the New York Post, the Rockets held a draft workout with Wendell Green Jr. from Auburn University Thursday morning. 

Green is a 5-foot-11 point guard who averaged 13.7 points and 4.1 assists for the Tigers during the 2022-23 college basketball season. He has spent three seasons at Auburn and was teammates with Jabari Smith Jr. in 2022. 

JUNE 13 ROCKETS HOST ANTHONY BLACK, THOMPSON TWINS FOR PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT

The Rockets held a pair of draft workouts, as reported by The Athletic. As expected, Houston hosted Amen and Ausar Thompson. But in addition to the Overtime Elite prospects, the Rockets also worked out Arkansas' Anthony Black.

Black is a projected top-10 pick as a point forward who averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists during the 2022-23 season.

JUNE 11 JARACE WALKER STAYS IN HOUSTON WITH LATEST MOCK DRAFT

The Rockets have several options they can choose from when considering which prospect to draft with the No. 4 pick. 

The consensus favorite is Overtime Elite's Amen Thompson. But the New York Post has the Rockets drafting the "not so sexy pick" Jarace Walker from the University of Houston on June 22.

Walker spent one season with the Houston Cougars. He averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals through 36 games.

"The Rockets need to complement young offensive talents Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr., not to mention potential free-agent addition, James Harden, with a physical forward such as Walker who will bring a defensive mindset with him to Houston." — Zach Braziller

JUNE 10 ROCKETS TO MEET WITH THOMPSON TWINS

According to The Athletic, the Rockets will hold a pre-draft workout with Amen and Ausar Thompson next week in Houston. Amen has been the favorite to land with the Rockets as the fourth selection of the draft.

The Thompson twins recently held a pre-draft workout with the Portland Trail Blazers, who hold the No. 3 pick.

"Should they hold onto their lottery pick, names like Amen and Ausar Thompson and Cam Whitmore have been most frequently linked to the team, with the Thompson twins scheduled to visit next week." — Kelly Iko

JUNE 9 COULD ROCKETS BECOME A TRADE PARTNER WITH MAGIC?

General manager Rafael Stone said he would not rule out the possibility of trading the Rockets lottery pick, should the selection fall outside the top-3. Houston will enter the 2023 NBA Draft with the No. 4 pick.

The Rockets will explore every option leading up to the draft. And perhaps, trading down with the Orlando Magic could be a possibility.

According to HoopsHype, the Magic are hoping to use their lottery picks to jump into the top-5. After finishing the 2022-23 season with a 34-48 record, Orlando holds the No. 6 and No. 11 picks entering the draft.

"There’s a belief around the league that Orlando is open to moving the No. 6 and No. 11 picks if the Magic can move into the 3-5 range." — HoopsHype.

JUNE 7 CAM WHITMORE LANDS WITH ROCKETS IN RINGER'S MOCK DRAFT

Amen Thompson is the favorite to land with the Houston Rockets during the 2023 NBA Draft. But over the past week, Cam Whitmore from Villanova has started to gain momentum as a potential No. 4 pick.

In The Ringer's latest NBA Mock Draft, Kevin O'Connor believes Whitmore will be a better fit for Houston, given its free agency plans.

"A lot of people predict that one of the Thompson twins will be picked in this spot, but with the Rockets hoping to sign James Harden, Whitmore would undoubtedly be the better fit. And besides, with his great athleticism, defensive ability, and flashes of scoring upside he’d be a fair pick regardless of Harden."

Harden is the primary target for the Rockets in free agency. But should they miss the chance to reunite with their former franchise star, Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday morning that Fred VanVleet is their second option.  

Whitmore is a projected top-10 pick with the skills to enhance Houston's play at small forward. He is an athletic wingman who thrives in transition and is a solid defensive player.  

JUNE 4 SCOOT HENDERSON LIMITING PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT

G League Ignite prospect Scoot Henderson does not expect to wait long before hearing his name on NBA Draft night. The Portland Trail Blazers held a workout for Henderson on Saturday. Following the meeting, Henderson announced that the Charlotte Hornets will be his second and final workout. 

The Hornets and Trail Blazers hold the No. 2 and No. 3 picks of the 2023 NBA Draft. Henderson, a projected top-three prospect, averaged 17.6 points, 6.6. assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Ignite during the 2022-23 season.

MAY 31 ROCKETS HELD PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT WITH JETT HOWARD

The Rockets held a pre-draft workout with Michigan's wingman Jett Howard, as first reported by The Athletic Wednesday morning. Howard played 29 games for the Wolverines and averaged 14.2 points on 41.4 percent shooting from the field.

Howard is the son of Michigan's coach and former NBA All-Star Juwan Howard. Juwan played three seasons with the Rockets following a blockbuster trade from the Orlando Magic in June 2004.

MAY 27 RAPTORS HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT THE NO. 4 PICK

It's no secret the Rockets are open to trading their No. 4 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Several teams have flirted with the possibility of trading up with the Rockets. And according to The Athletic,  the Toronto Raptors are one team that has expressed interest in trading for the lottery pick.

The Raptors are on the verge of a rebuild following a 41-41 record during the 2022-23 campaign. Toronto holds the No. 13 pick and could benefit from acquiring Houston's selection.

MAY 26 ROCKETS RECEIVING CALLS FOR NO. 4 PICK

Even before learning their fate at the NBA Draft Lottery, general manager Rafael Stone hinted at the possibility of the Rockets trading their lottery pick. And since Houston landed the No. 4 selection of the 2023 NBA Draft, The Athletic reported several teams have reached out to the Rockets with trade interest.

"Multiple teams have already expressed interest in acquiring Houston’s lottery pick ahead of the June 22 draft. One of the underlying themes of the combine and hot topics stemming from last Tuesday’s result among league personnel was the expectation of Houston, Portland and Detroit aggressively seeking trades centered around their picks, albeit for different reasons." — The Athletic

Despite missing out on the right to draft Victor Wembanyama, the Rockets are still confident in their ability to add another promising player. According to reports, Overtime Elite prospect Amen Thompson is the Rockets' top target should they maintain their No. 4 pick. 

MAY 21 ROCKETS INTERESTED IN CAM WHITMORE?

The 2023 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a mystery outside of Victor Wembanyama's arrival in San Antonio. The Rockets have several prospects they would be able to choose with the No. 4 pick. And according to the Houston Chronicle, Houston has showcased an interest in Cam Whitmore from Villanova.

The Rockets had scheduled a meeting with the 18-year-old forward during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. But before his interview, Whitmore had an idea of how he would fit alongside Houston's starting backcourt in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

"They’re athletic type of guards who can score offensively and get guys involved, guards who can rotate one through five. I think it’s a great fit with athletic type of young guys who can get the job done." — Whitmore said per the Houston Chronicle.

Whitmore played one season at Villanova and averaged 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds across 26 games.

MAY 18 ROCKETS MET WITH KEYONTAE JOHNSON AND CASON WALLACE

The Rockets are doing their due diligence during the NBA Draft Combine by meeting with prospects in Chicago. According to The Athletic, the Rockets have met with Kansas State forward Keyontae Johnson and Kentucky guard Cason Wallace.

Johnson is a four-year forward that had a career season at Kansas State. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds while helping the Wildcats go 26-10 during the 2022-23 campaign. 

Wallace spent one season at Kentucky averaging 11.7 points and 4.3 assists as a freshman. He has also met with the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

MAY 16 SPURS WIN DRAFT LOTTERY AND RIGHTS TO VICTOR WEMBANYAMA

The San Antonio Spurs have won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. And on June 22 inside the Barclays Center, the Spurs will have a chance to land Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick. The Spurs will select No. 1 overall for the first time since 1997 when the franchise landed future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan.

The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers have obtained the No. 2 and No. 3 picks of the draft, while the Rockets and Detroit Pistons will pick No. 4 and No. 5.

MAY 14 LEAGUE CIRCLES DOESN'T WANT WEMBANYAMA IN HOUSTON?  

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, league circles do not want Victor Wembanyama to end up on the Rockets due to the negative perception that has plagued the franchise over the years.

"I've talked to a lot of people within league circles that are like 'God, I hope Houston doesn't end up with Victor Wembanyama. I feel like we can find some better spots at the same time.'"

Vecenie said he is not uncomfortable with the possibility of Wembanyama getting drafted by the Rockets. He feels the projected No. 1 pick will be a great fit by mixing him with the talents Houston already has. 

MAY 12 ROCKETS HOLD PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT WITH MARKQUIS NOWELL

Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell was one of several prospects the Rockets held a pre-draft meeting for ahead of the Draft Combine in Chicago. Nowell led the Kansas State Wildcats to a 26-10 record, averaging 17.6 points and 8.3 assists during his senior season.

MAY 11 ROCKETS GET AN EARLY START WITH PRE-DRAFT WORKOUTS 

The Rockets have held several pre-draft workouts ahead of the NBA Draft Combine, which will begin on May 15 in Chicago.

According to USA Today, the Rockets have met with prospects Kendric Davis (Memphis guard), Jaylen Forbes (Tulane), Alex Fudge (Florida), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Markquis Nowell (Kansas State) and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky).

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Coty M. Davis
COTY M. DAVIS

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