At the 2023 All-Star break, the bad news for general manager Rafael Stone, head coach Stephen Silas and a young Houston Rockets team is they still 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. To that end, Stone and the Rockets control their first-round picks in the draft on Thursday, June 22.
Moreover, thanks to a pick-swap right obtained in the Eric Gordon trade, the Rockets have another first-round selection headed their way from the Los Angeles Clippers. That pick could be as high as the middle of the first round, but it certainly will be better than where the Milwaukee selection (the pick Houston originally owned) will likely end up.
For playoff-bound teams like the Clippers or Bucks, draft slots are determined solely by record. For the 14 non-playoff teams, like the Rockets, the top-four picks are determined from a weighted lottery system. From there, the remainder 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.