Inside The Rockets

Rockets Linked to Pacers Guard's Brother in NBA Draft

The Houston Rockets may be able to continue an NBA family legacy.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) and UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) chase down a loose bal in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) and UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) chase down a loose bal in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets are keeping an eye on the upcoming draft class to potentially add more young talent to the organization.

Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman recently built a two-round mock draft and Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard was the pick at No. 58 overall for the Rockets. Nembhard's brother Andrew currently plays for the Indiana Pacers.

"Ryan Nembhard lacks his brother's height, but the nation's assist leader clearly has some special passing IQ worth looking at later in the second round. Improved off-the-dribble shooting and three-point range could give him a chance at a backup role," Wasserman writes.

Nembhard is in his senior season at Gonzaga, and he is averaging 11.9 points and 9.5 assists per game for the Bulldogs. His passing abilities will be why teams in the NBA could be interested in him, but his six-foot stature makes him smaller than most of the league's guards.

If the Rockets are willing to look past that, they might be able to add a pass-first guard to the roster, and that's a position that needs filling at the moment.

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow night as they take on the defending champion Boston Celtics at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT inside Toyota Center. The game can be watched on Space City Home Network locally or streamed on NBA League Pass.

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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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