5 Best Players the Houston Rockets Could Trade for on NBA Draft Day

We can’t wait for the NBA draft.

You probably can’t either. After all, you’re a Houston Rockets fan. By now, you’re probably tired of all the speculation about what they’ll do with the third overall pick.

So we’re here to provide some additional speculation. We’re still figuring out what we think the Rockets should do. It can easily be argued that they should keep things simple and select the player they think is the best available.

If they decide to trade for immediate help, here are 5 players we’d like them to target in order of preference.

The Spurs are in a similar situation to the Rockets a few years ago. The only difference is that they have Victor Wembanyama.

Life suffers.

Regardless, Spurs need to build their squad around Wembanyama. They have some intriguing young talent, but no one else on their roster is a clear cornerstone. Still, if any of these guys are going to be there when the Spurs (inevitably) start competing for the NBA title, it’ll probably be Devin Vassell.

Given that, the similarly named Keldon Johnson is considered a top trade target. Additionally, the Spurs have the fourth and eighth picks in the upcoming draft. Could they be interested in flipping Johnson and the eighth pick for the Rockets’ third overall selection?

Maybe. Still, the Rockets might want to think twice. Johnson’s best season came in 2022-23, averaging 22.0 points per game. It is worth noting that with his career high three-pointers (6.5 attempts per game), there has been a considerable drop in efficiency (32.9%).

Johnson is a good player. He’s a three-level scorer with at least some defensive value. However, the Rockets need floor spacing above all else. It may be prudent to target a lower-cost player who fits the team’s needs.