Where ESPN projects Houston’s 2024 NBA draft assets to land

ESPN’s @DraftExpress projects Houston to receive the No. 10 and No. 40 picks in the 2024 NBA draft from Brooklyn while sending No. 8 and No. 38 to Oklahoma City.

The Houston Rockets have a somewhat complicated NBA draft outlook for the 2024 cycle, which takes place in June.

As part of the ill-fated July 2019 trade involving Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, Houston’s own first-round pick in 2024 is headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder in most scenarios. However, because that pick is top-four protected, the Rockets would retain it if they are bad enough and/or fortunate enough to secure one of the NBA’s top-four picks awarded in the May 2024 draft lottery.

On the other hand, the Rockets have an unprotected first-round selection headed their way from Brooklyn. The Nets have a very uncertain outlook for the 2023-24 season in the aftermath of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving each leaving the team last February.

In the second round, Houston’s own pick is headed to Oklahoma City, but it should have three picks coming in (with very light protections) from the Thunder, Nets and Golden State Warriors.

So, what types of picks are those likely to be, based on current rosters? Here’s a guess by ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony:

  • Oklahoma City gets the No. 8 pick from Houston
  • Houston gets the No. 10 pick from Brooklyn
  • Oklahoma City gets the No. 38 pick from Houston
  • Houston gets the No. 40 pick from Brooklyn
  • Houston gets the No. 44 pick from Oklahoma City
  • Houston gets the No. 54 pick from Golden State

As it stands, Givony seemingly expects the Rockets and Nets to be in a very similar tier as it pertains to their records.

Should that be the case, the picks headed Houston’s way from the James Harden blockbuster in February 2021 would largely cancel out those headed to Oklahoma City in the much-maligned 2019 trade.

It’s far from a perfect draft outcome for the Rockets, but it would mitigate at least some of the damage, in terms of asset management.

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