With the 2022 NBA draft lottery officially in the books, the Houston Rockets are now set at No. 3 and No. 17 overall in the first round. The first pick is their own, won via Tuesday’s lottery, and the second is from Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade in January 2021.
If Houston keeps the No. 3 pick in the 2022 first round, they should have an opportunity on June 23 to draft one of the consensus top-three prospects: Gonzaga big Chet Holmgren, Duke forward Paolo Banchero, and Auburn forward Jabari Smith. Purdue guard Jaden Ivey and Kentucky wing Shaedon Sharpe may also work their way into the discussion.
However, a top-three pick could also prove valuable on the trade market, as Stone alluded to in his comments after Tuesday’s lottery.
If the Rockets stay in the draft, Stone indicated that individual player workouts over the coming weeks will be substantially less important than game footage on tape. Thus, the vast majority of the information that they will use in making those selections is already available.
With that in mind, as of May 17, here’s a look at who the various draft experts have going at No. 3 and No. 17 in their latest mock drafts.