Led by Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Auburn forward Jabari Smith, several potential draftees for the Houston Rockets are meeting virtually with the media in the days leading up to the 2022 NBA draft.
After Wednesday’s trade sending Christian Wood to Dallas, the Rockets suddenly have three first-round picks on Thursday, June 23. They’ve long held their own selection at No. 3 overall and one from Brooklyn at No. 17, and they now add the Mavericks’ pick at No. 26 to the mix.
If Houston keeps all those picks, that means that two or three different tiers of prospects are potential candidates to join the team.
With that in mind, numerous prospects are either mentioning the Rockets or being specifically asked about them as part of the ongoing media interview circuit. Sorted by player, here’s a look at who has been linked to Houston so far, along with what they’ve had to say about the Rockets.
(This list will be continuously updated over the coming days as more interviews trickle in. Most recent update: Friday, June 17)