Inside The Rockets

Rockets Could Draft 'Next Keegan Murray'

The Houston Rockets could add to their core in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener

Apr 1, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Liam McNeeley speaks during a press conference at JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Apr 1, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Liam McNeeley speaks during a press conference at JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have one of the brightest futures in the NBA with seven first-round picks since 2021 on the roster.

In next summer's draft, they could look to add to that young group with UConn freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who was mocked to the Rockets with the No. 12 overall pick by Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman and compared to Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray.

"NBA teams should see an easy fit and appealing archetype with Liam McNeeley. He should look like one of the top freshmen shooters, and he'll sell scouts further by scoring out of different sets/actions and making IQ plays. "Plug-and-play" figures to be a commonly used phrase to describe McNeeley's game for Connecticut and eventually the NBA. Finishing efficiently inside the arc and defending with toughness will be keys to maximizing his draft stock," Wasserman writes.

The Rockets have been looking to shed the rebuilding label off for a while now, and they have been rumored to make a big trade in the foreseeable future. The youth movement might be too much for one roster to handle.

The Rockets need to start focusing on winning rather than the future, but if McNeeley has a strong season with the Huskies and he's within Houston's range for the draft, the team may look to take a flier on another young prospect.

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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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