The Rockets will pick No. 3 in the 2024 NBA Draft

The NBA held the 2024 Draft Lottery on Sunday afternoon in Chicago, and for the fourth year in a row, the Houston Rockets had to rely on lottery balls in hopes of improving their roster.

The Rockets landed the third pick, marking another year in which Houston failed to receive the first overall selection. They were able to land the pick thanks to the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

The Rockets selection took 12th place overall. Due to the trade to acquire Russell Westbrook in 2019, Houston’s selection went to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook played one season with the Rockets, leading to the franchise’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The Rockets traded for Westbrook in a deal that also sent Chris Paul and four potential first-round picks.

According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets could attempt to trade their pick for future assets.

The 2002 draft lottery marked the last time the Rockets held the top overall selection, which they used to draft future Hall of Famer Yao Ming. Last year, Houston landed the fourth pick, which they used to draft Amen Thompson.

The Atlanta Hawks won the 2024 draft lottery and the Washington Wizards received the No. 2 selection. According to ESPN, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard is the third-best prospect.

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