Report: NBA sources expect Rockets to shop 2025 draft pick on trade market
Courtesy of an asset obtained from the Phoenix Suns (via the Brooklyn Nets), the Houston Rockets have a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft despite having just finished a 52-30 season with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference.
The good news is that it's potentially more talent to add to the roster. The bad news is Houston may not be in position to develop another young prospect.
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Recent reports have suggested that general manager Rafael Stone could look to trade the selection, and Friday's mock draft by Kevin O'Connor (Yahoo! Sports) adds more fuel to the fire. He writes:
The Rockets have a pretty deep roster, as is, and minutes could be hard to come by for an incoming freshman... like they were for Reed Sheppard last year. So, league sources expect the Rockets to look into trading this pick, whether it's a trade way up, a trade out for a star, or a trade out for a group of future picks... similar to what the Spurs received from the Timberwolves when Minnesota moved up for Rob Dillingham last year.
Given their depth of young players, the idea of the Rockets consolidating multiple assets makes sense, but it obviously depends on whether a player comes available that is worth such a deal.
If not, trading out is an interesting concept. As of now, Houston's team payroll is still relatively inexpensive, since Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are the only players among the so-called 'core seven' (first-round draft picks this decade) who are on their second NBA contracts.
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But when players such as Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Sheppard receive lucrative extensions, the payroll is likely to rise significantly. That could make having a rookie-scale contract starting in a future season, as opposed to 2025-26, more financially efficient for purposes of filling out the surrounding roster.
The 2025 first round is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, so Stone and the Rockets still have almost four weeks to mull through the scenarios.
More: 2025 NBA mock drafts: Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis frequently linked to Rockets
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: NBA sources expect Rockets to shop 2025 draft pick on trade market
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