Ime Udoka to represent Houston Rockets in 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA will hold the 2024 Draft Lottery on Sunday, and for the second year in a row, coach Ime Udoka will represent the Houston Rockets. The lottery will begin at 2 p.m. CT, just before the start of Game 3 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. Kelly Iko of The Athletic was the first to report.

Udoka’s first appearance came in 2023, almost a month after he took over as coach of the Rockets. Houston lost a ping-pong ball to No. 1 pick and right to draft Victor Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

With Udoka, the Rockets received the No. 4 pick. Despite lacking a generational talent, Houston still came out of the draft in good shape. They landed the fourth overall pick used to draft former OverTime Elite prospect Amen Thompson.

Over the final 18 games of the regular season, Thompson averaged 13.1 points and 8.2 rebounds. As the starter who replaced the injured Alperen Sengun, Thompson upgraded his game to impact the Rockets’ on-court play through his development as an off-ball player.

Due to the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021, the Rockets will get one of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Nets’ pick has a 50.7 percent chance of landing the ninth overall pick, and the draft selection has a 4.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. The 2002 draft lottery marked the last time the Rockets held the top overall selection, used to draft future Hall of Famer Yao Ming.

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