Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has said that he and his staff will be open-minded with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, including the consideration of potential trade scenarios.
But it doesn’t sound like rising star Jalen Green, who was drafted No. 2 in the 2021 first round, is expecting a curveball. In a newly released podcast with Bill Simmons, Green says the Rockets already reached out to him to ask about his thoughts regarding the third overall selection.
“I got asked,” Green said. “They checked with me, for sure. We have the third overall pick. There are three great players. Let’s build. Come on.”
The top-three prospects on most draft boards are three bigs: Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Green endorsed the draft model from the perspective of team building. “I like the home-grown stuff,” Green told Simmons. “Chemistry, everybody playing together, knowing their roles. Stuff like that.”
As of now, it seems Green is strongly under the impression that Houston will be using that third pick. The full episode can be listened to below.
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