As February 2023 approaches, the bad news for general manager Rafael Stone, head coach Stephen Silas and a young Houston Rockets team is they own the NBA’s worst record.
The good news is that led by Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the 2023 draft class is widely viewed as a strong one, and Stone and the Rockets have full control of their pick once this year’s draft takes place on Thursday, June 22.
They also have a first-round selection headed their way from Milwaukee, which is likely to be near the bottom of the round. For playoff teams, like the Bucks, draft slot is determined solely by record — whereas for the 14 non-playoff teams, like the Rockets, the top-four picks are determined from a weighted lottery system. From there, the remainder of those top-14 selections are decided by record.
Here’s a roundup of who the various draft experts have going to Houston in recent mock drafts, along with a look at the lottery odds.