Rockets Struck Out in 2021 Draft; Who Should Houston Have Taken Instead?

The Houston Rockets whiffed on two picks late in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Apr 4, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Josh Christopher (9) brings the ball up the court during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While the Houston Rockets nailed their first two selections in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, they weren't quite as successful on the backend.

With the Nos. 23 and 24 picks, the Rockets took Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher, two promising prospects that just didn't pan out in Houston under head coach Stephen Silas.

Just two seasons into their tenures with Houston, Garuba was out of the NBA while Christopher was trying to catch on in the G League.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale conducted a 2021 NBA redraft exercise that saw the Rockets take current Memphis Grizzlies backup center Jay Huff with the No. 23 overall pick.

"Jay Huff's 35-game sample with the Memphis Grizzlies this season underwrites his entire re-draft stock. That unequivocally puts this decision on shaky ground," Favale writes.

"I make no apologies. If you're going to step out on a limb, it might as well be for a floor-spacing who can also make waves in transition."

Huff was with the Rockets during the Las Vegas Summer League in 2023 before signing a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. Now, he's found a more permanent home in the NBA with the Grizzlies that should keep him in the league for a little while longer.

With the next pick, the Rockets then selected Justin Champagnie, who is currently making the most of a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards at the moment.

"Look, you're free to write off Justin Champagnie as small-sample theater. But a 23-year-old wing downing over 45 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes while being moved around the defensive spectrum without seeming overtaxed relative to most other Washington Wizards players is worthy of a late first-round flier in my book," Favale writes.

Champagnie is averaging just over nine points per game for the Wizards this season and is currently on pace to be on a standard contract either later this year or early next.

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow as they host the Detroit Pistons as part of the league's MLK Day schedule. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

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