The Houston Rockets will have a big decision to make when they are on the clock at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
French prospects Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher are considered the most likely players to hear their names called at No. 1 overall and No. 2 overall to the Hawks and to Wizards, though the order of who goes first is still debated and unclear.
In our first 2024 NBA mock draft after the lottery, we had Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard as the third player off the board. But in the latest mock draft from CBS Sports, NBA writer Colin Ward-Henninger had a different player off the board.
Here is what he wrote about UConn’s Stephon Castle, who won a national championship during his sole collegiate campaign:
“Do I think Castle is the third-best prospect in this class? No. However, the fit with the Rockets is too perfect to pass up. Ideally they’d like a better shooter here, but Castle’s versatility and defensive upside make him a perfect Ime Udoka player as Houston attempts to climb into the postseason picture. I could see Castle having a Josh Hart-like impact on winning from day one with plenty of other Rockets to run the show offensively.”
We still have a few weeks until Houston has to make a decision, but Castle makes a lot of sense as a player who could potentially provide an immediate help on the defensive on the floor.
It is worth noting that according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, however, the former UConn standout reportedly views himself as a point guard and may be avoiding workouts for teams with established point guards.
The Rockets have Fred VanVleet under contract for another year before a club option for 2024-25.
Make sure you check out our newest post-lottery mock draft, along with the official full draft order post-lottery.