NBA mock draft: Who Rockets could take with two 2022 first-round picks

For The Win draft guru Bryan Kalbrosky sees Duke’s Paolo Banchero and teammate Wendell Moore Jr. as potential NBA draft fits with the Rockets.

With the 2021-22 NBA regular season now over halfway completed and college basketball in the middle of conference play, mock drafts are becoming more intriguing and valuable to monitor.

After all, a team like the Houston Rockets that currently sits at the bottom of the Western Conference knows they have very strong odds to draft high in the first round. Moreover, the track records for many available college players are coming into better focus, since many of the top prospects are now facing off quality opposition on a more regular basis.

The Rockets are currently slotted to have two first-round picks in the 2022 NBA draft: Their own, along with the higher pick between Miami and Brooklyn. As of now, Houston’s pick is likely to be high in the draft, while the Miami/Brooklyn pick appears likely to be in the 20s — since both the Heat and Nets appear poised to easily make the playoffs.

As of Saturday, the Rockets (12-32) had the league’s third-worst record. Scroll on for a look at the draft lottery odds, should that position hold, along with insight by For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky on who they might take with each of their two first-round selections in 2022.

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