PHOTOS: Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, TyTy Washington Jr. drafted by Rockets

Thursday was a banner night for Auburn’s Jabari Smith, LSU’s Tari Eason, and Kentucky’s TyTy Washington Jr., who were drafted in the NBA’s 2022 first round by the Rockets.

Thursday’s NBA draft was a landmark day for both the Rockets and numerous 2022 prospects. From a Houston perspective, the headliner was Auburn forward Jabari Smith, who general manager Rafael Stone shockingly selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the first round. (Most mock drafts had projected Smith at No. 1 to Orlando.)

The Rockets went on to select LSU forward Tari Eason at No. 17 (via Brooklyn) and Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr. at No. 29 (via a series of trades involving four teams) in the first round, completing a milestone night for the franchise’s rebuilding efforts.

Elsewhere on RocketsWire, we’ve got plenty of news and analysis on the latest roster moves, and that will continue in the days ahead. This story, however, is a visual one to show what things looked like at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which is where the draft took place.

Scroll on for a Rockets-themed look at the 2022 NBA draft. The team’s new additions are expected to fly to Houston early Friday and be introduced at a Toyota Center press conference later in the day.

NBA summer league games, in which healthy 2022-23 rookies are expected to participate, will begin for the Rockets on July 7.

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