NBA Re-Draft: Who Do Houston Rockets Take at No. 4?

The Houston Rockets had the No. 4 overall pick in this past summer's draft, but who would they take now given the regular season?

Jeremy Brener | Apr 12, 2024

Apr 11, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against Houston / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets took Amen Thompson in last summer's NBA Draft, and they appear to be very happy with the choice they made.

In his rookie season, Thompson has played in 60 games, averaging 9.3 points per game. While there's still some developing that needs to take place, a lot of potential has been flashed so far.

Apr 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) warms up prior to a game / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

That's why Bleacher Report has Thompson going No. 3 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers in a 2023 re-draft behind Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller. The Rockets ended up with Scoot Henderson at No. 4.

"Rookies aren't supposed to be this good on defense, but Thompson often looks dominant on that end. The scope of what he does isn't just wide; it's all-encompassing. He will chase around movement shooters, shoot absurd gaps to contest would-be open jumpers, teleport into passing lanes, disrupt handles helping from the corner, delete looks at the basket after going step-for-step—the list somehow goes on and on," Bleacher Report writes.

"Thompson is equally impressive on offense, if only because he and the Houston Rockets have found effective workarounds to his finite range. He goes at warp speed on the break, flies in for offensive boards and put-backs, screens like he means it and runs hand-offs as if he entered the league as a polished big-man prospect rather than floor-general revelation."

Thompson and the Rockets face off tonight against Henderson and the Blazers in the penultimate game of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT.

Published Apr 12, 2024

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.