Is Villanova’s Cam Whitmore making a late charge? Entering draft week, some mocks have the #Rockets selecting Whitmore over Amen Thompson at No. 4 overall.
The 2023 NBA draft is less than one week away.
The action starts at 7 p.m. Central on Thursday, June 22, from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It will be televised on ABC and ESPN.
After landing at No. 4 in the draft lottery, the rebuilding Rockets will not be drafting Victor Wembanyama, the historically talented French big man who will go to San Antonio at No. 1. However, general manager Rafael Stone will have several talented options to choose among once Houston is on the clock.
At fourth, the list of candidates for the Rockets is presumably led by guard Scoot Henderson of the NBA G League Ignite, guard Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite and forward Brandon Miller of Alabama. Other options include Ausar Thompson, Amen’s twin brother from Overtime Elite, and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore.
Houston also owns the No. 20 pick in the first round, which it acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Eric Gordon trade. Here’s a look entering draft week at who experts have going at No. 4 and No. 20 in their latest mock drafts.
Are the #Rockets zeroing in on Amen Thompson? In today’s podcast, NBA writer @MikeAScotto offers fresh insight on Houston’s plans in the 2023 draft and free agency.
Michael A. Scotto, national NBA writer for HoopsHype, joined our podcast to discuss the latest offseason rumors surrounding the Houston Rockets and their 2023 draft and free agency plans.
Is general manager Rafael Stone increasingly set on selecting Amen Thompson at No. 4 overall? In a conversation with Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, Scotto offers fresh insight on that and other draft considerations, including trade possibilities to move up or down in the first-round order or for a veteran player from another team.
The interview then switches gears to free agency, with topics ranging from Houston’s long-rumored pursuit of James Harden to whether restricted free agents such as Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers are potentially attainable.
Thursday’s interview podcast, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below. Each episode is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”
The top prospects are beginning to receive invitations to attend the 2023 NBA draft from the green room at Barclays Center.
With less than two weeks to go until the 2023 NBA draft, the top prospects are receiving invitations to attend the festivities in the green room at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Teams each year vote on the players they believe will be drafted early, typically the top 20-25 prospects. Last year, 24 players were invited to the green room and only one player wasn’t drafted in the first round (Jaden Hardy).
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The first two batches of invitations have been dispatched to prospects with 19 players on the initial lists, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. There will likely be at least one more group invited based on teams’ final rankings and player availability.
Here is the list of players invited to the draft green room.
“I’ve heard the #Rockets believe the gap between Amen [Thompson], Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller is not as large as people might assume,” @KellyIko reports.
After landing at No. 4 following the 2023 NBA draft lottery, there haven’t been many rumors of the Houston Rockets looking to trade into the top three.
There could be a good reason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, who recently appeared on the “HoopsHype Podcast” with Michael Scotto, Houston doesn’t see much of a gap between Amen Thompson, who is projected by most to go fourth, and Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, who are widely forecast at second and third.
The name you hear most frequently is Amen Thompson. I’ve heard they believe that the gap between Amen and Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller is actually not as large as people might assume it’s going to be. They think it’s quite minimal because when you look at Amen in a vacuum as a 6-foot-7 athlete who can jump out of the gym as an aggressive defender and a quality playmaker, with the ability to mesh with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.
The shooting concerns are real, but looking at it from a prospect standpoint alone, there’s a reason you hear his name the most frequently. You still have to consider his brother, Ausar, and Whitmore, because of how talented they are as individual prospects. But I’m comfortable saying they have Amen Thompson in a class above the rest of the guys you’d consider in that next tier of draft prospects.
While some analysts around the league have referred to it as a three-player draft — in terms of there being a steep decline in pick value after the top three of Henderson, Miller, and presumed top pick Victor Wembanyama — it appears the Rockets don’t see it that way.
If that’s the case, don’t expect them to pay the type of premium to trade up that other teams with a different view might be willing to.
As the NBA’s June 22 draft nears, two of Houston’s potential targets at No. 4 overall — Amen and Ausar Thompson — will reportedly be in town next week. #Rockets
As the NBA’s June 22 draft nears, two of Houston’s potential targets with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round— Amen and Ausar Thompson — will reportedly be in town next week.
“Should they hold onto their lottery pick, names like Amen and Ausar Thompson and Cam Whitmore have been most frequently linked to the team, with the Thompson twins scheduled to visit next week,” reports Kelly Iko, who covers the Rockets for The Athletic.
Both Thompson twins are 6-foot-7 athletic phenoms who most recently played in the newly created Overtime Elite league. Ausar is largely viewed as a wing, while Amen has more point-guard skills.
Generally speaking, Amen Thompson is most frequently projected to the Rockets in the most recent wave of mock drafts. However, the margin is close enough that both could be in play.
Amen and Ausar Thompson, potential top-10 picks in this month’s draft, are slated to visit the Houston Rockets next week, sources tell @TheAthletic. https://t.co/rlnTriWyCc
Other potential options for the Rockets at No. 4 overall could include Alabama’s Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite and Villanova’s Cam Whitmore. Because many draft projections have Miller and Henderson among the top-three selections, it isn’t clear if either will work out for Houston in the pre-draft process.
That said, not working out wouldn’t preclude them from being the pick. In 2022, Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. only worked out for Orlando and Oklahoma City because most projections had him going with one of the draft’s top-two picks. However, he slid to No. 3, and the Rockets were happy to take him there based on Smith’s perceived value at that slot and his college game tape.
Amen Thompson continues to be the most popular #Rockets projection in 2023 NBA mock drafts. But as we enter June, there are a few outlier scenarios still in the mix.
The calendar has flipped to June, which means the 2023 NBA draft is rapidly approaching on Thursday, June 22. It starts at 7 p.m. Central from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
After landing at No. 4 in the draft lottery, the rebuilding Rockets will not be drafting Victor Wembanyama, the historically talented French big man who will be picked by San Antonio at No. 1 overall.
However, the Rockets will still have a number of talented options to choose from. The list potentially includes guard Scoot Henderson of the NBA G League Ignite, guard Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite and forward Brandon Miller of Alabama.
Houston also owns the No. 20 pick in the first round, which it acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Eric Gordon trade. With both slots confirmed, here’s a look entering June at who draft experts have going at No. 4 and No. 20 in their latest mock drafts.
Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.
The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.
Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.
The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.
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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.
With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.
Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.
Our latest NBA mock draft with just weeks left before the real thing.
Since our last 2023 NBA mock draft update, quite a lot has changed.
For example, we know the full order of the 2023 NBA Draft and we’re now less than three weeks away from the big night. We also had an eventful few days at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
This mock draft is based on intel, scouting, deep data dives, and continued conversations with experts around the league. The results of this mock draft are based on the current order of the draft, though we can expect trades that will shake up the picks on the night of the event.
For example, while G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson is projected to fall a bit in this mock, we expect a team to trade up to select him earlier than our current outlook. But as of right now, this is how we see it shaking out.
We also used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.
The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Today’s @LockedOnRockets explores what the arrival of Nick Nurse in Philadelphia could mean for a potential #Rockets pursuit of likely free agent James Harden.
Doc Rivers is out as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Nick Nurse is in following a successful run leading the Toronto Raptors. So, what does that potentially mean for the Houston Rockets and their long-rumored offseason pursuit of James Harden?
In the latest “Locked on Rockets” podcast, credentialed media members Jackson Gatlin and Ben DuBose explore key takeaways from a Houston perspective. As part of the discussion, they explain why the arrival of Nurse — as opposed to, say, former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who was also a candidate after working well with Harden in Houston — certainly can’t hurt the odds of a reunion.
Beyond Harden topics, the show explores reports linking the Rockets to Amen Thompson in the 2023 NBA draft, along with insight on why it makes sense for Houston to acknowledge that interest.
Today’s “Locked on Rockets” episode can be listened to via Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher and nearly all major podcast distributors. It can also be watched in its entirety on YouTube below.
Amen and Ausar Thompson, formerly of Overtime Elite, participated in their first pre-draft workout with the Trail Blazers.
Projected lottery picks Amen and Ausar Thompson, formerly of Overtime Elite, participated in their first pre-draft workout on Tuesday with the Portland Trail Blazers.
They spent two years with the Overtime Elite after signing in May 2021 out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Amen is most commonly projected to be the fourth player selected on June 22 while Ausar is slated to go in the 6-8 range.
The upstart professional league helped put the Thompson twins on the radar and offered them some structure after they opted against playing at the collegiate level.
They explained how their first workout went.
“Today was fun,” Amen said. “Working with these pro trainers, it was a good day. I expected it to be a little bit rough, a little bit of conditioning. I feel like I prepared for that, so it wasn’t too bad.”
Said Ausar: “I was kind of nervous going into it but once you get into it, basketball is basketball. I learned to just go hard, push yourself the whole time and always stay positive.”
Of the two, Amen is viewed more as a point guard and Ausar plays more off the ball and on the wing. Each has elite athleticism, which has allowed the duo to dazzle in the open court. Both can score from virtually all over the court and project to have high ceilings at the next level.
Amen offered his take on their scouting report.
I would say I’m on the ball a little bit more, I’m more of a facilitator. He is more of a scorer but he can facilitate, too, and I can go score. But I feel like we were both on the ball very similarly.
Both offer tremendous upside on the defensive end of the court.
Though they elected against competing in on-court drills and scrimmages at the draft combine, both measured in barefoot at 6 feet, 5.75 inches. Ausar weighed in slightly heavier, 218.2 pounds to Amen’s 214.2 pounds, but both have 7-foot wingspans.
They are viewed as raw prospects and have perhaps as high of a ceiling as any player in the draft. They ooze potential on both ends of the court and should be high picks.
