The Houston Rockets have had one of the NBA’s two-worst records for three consecutive seasons, going 22-60 in 2022-23. This year, that landed them fourth in the lottery, where they figured to be among the teams considering moving their pick in an effort to land some more immediate help to a very young team.
Jalen Green is the centerpiece of the Rockets rebuild, leading the team a year ago with 22.1 points per game, and with new head coach Ime Udoka in town, the expectation is for a step forward in 2023-24. The question for Houston is how they put the pieces together and what players are considered part of their core. How do they view Kevin Porter Jr.’s fit alongside Green? Is Alperen Sengun their long-term option at center? Those specific questions will be answered in time, but what we do know is the Rockets will soon want to start consolidating some of their young talent and adding veterans who can help them be more competitive.
Roster Needs: More talent, Rim protection, Passing
Amen Thompson (No. 4 overall), B+: Thompson isn’t without flaws by any means, but he brings tremendous upside to the table. Amen projects to be immediately be one of the best athletes in the NBA on arrival, and his combination of on-ball playmaking and defensive potential is tantalizing. The big question is whether he’ll develop a solid jump shot, which could determine his ultimate ceiling.
Cam Whitmore (No. 20 overall), A (or maybe Incomplete): From the outside, we can’t know how to evaluate this properly, as Whitmore’s precipitous fall is shocking amid rumblings of shaky medicals. If you remove that, this would be a total and complete heist for Houston. At a certain point, nabbing a very clear top-10 talent is worth the risk and this was a player they were considering at No. 4 overall.
2023 Free Agents:
Boban Marjanovic (UFA)
Willie Cauley-Stein (UFA)
Frank Kaminsky (UFA)
DJ Augustin (UFA)
Roster:
Jalen Green
Kevin Porter Jr.
Jabari Smith Jr.
Jae’Sean Tate
Alperen Sengun
Tari Eason
Usman Garuba
Josh Christopher
TyTy Washington Jr.
KJ Martin (team option)
Daishen Nix (non-guaranteed)
