What the Rockets are aiming to do next season is still to be determined, but from the sounds of things, they’re ready to start fielding a more competitive team.
That would mean veterans and preferably, good ones. In order to get those types of players, though, you have to offer assets — and that is something with which Houston is armed.
That includes the No. 4 overall draft pick, and the Rockets will listen to trade offers for it, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. In fact, per Iko, the Rockets may have been willing listeners on any pick outside of landing No. 1, which went to the Spurs in the lottery on Tuesday.
“We’ve been looking at this draft for three years,” general manager Rafael Stone said. “This is a really good draft. Very confident that there are uber-talented players that will be available.”
Rockets general counsel Clay Allen was a little more direct in his response on missing out on French center Victor Wembanyama, the grand prize of this year’s draft.
“Severe disappointment,” Allen said. “This is my third year here. We’ve gotten the second and third picks in the past. I was really hoping we were going to be No. 1. … You can’t affect this at all, but you don’t want to let people down.”
Either way, the Rockets will at least explore what they can get for the pick, as most teams in the top 10 do at this time of year. Houston just seems a little more serious about it.
- The Rockets continue to be linked to 76ers star guard James Harden, as we relayed here. Harden is expected to turn down his player option in search of a new four-year deal. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle examined the pros and cons of a Harden reunion with the Rockets right here.
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