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The Houston Rockets had some luck in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. The Rockets, who got their pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade in 2021, moved from the ninth overall pick to the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Now, Houston GM Rafael Stone is expected to shop the third pick in trade talks to bring in a veteran player. The Rockets signed several veteran free agents in the 2023 offseason. Those players helped Houston improve from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 wins in 2023-24.

In addition to adding the vets, the Rockets still have a good young core. That has Houston looking at options for more win-now help, as opposed to adding another young player to the core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith II, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Shawn Marks looking foolish for not taking that deal the Rockets offered.

This is a very smart move! How refreshing.

They should stay put and take Reed Sheppard (or Dillingham or Topic if that's who they prefer). They need a guard off the bench next year, and this player could take over for FVV next year and hedge against Jalen Green leaving in free agency. I think Sheppard for his shooting would be a great fit for them, makes it easier for them to play Sengun and Thompson together and a Thompson/Sheppard backcourt would be really interesting.

MitchB3 wrote:Shawn Marks looking foolish for not taking that deal the Rockets offered.

You don’t think Rockets would still make that same offer to Marks?

Revived wrote:

MitchB3 wrote:Shawn Marks looking foolish for not taking that deal the Rockets offered.

You don’t think Rockets would still make that same offer to Marks?

They will come with fewer picks. There’s no way they anticipated getting the #3 while fighting for play-in position, and for that reason I don’t really think this is a good idea.

Anybody they could trade for who is worth a #3 pick is going to be very expensive, no matter how flat we think this draft might be. They’re better off keeping the pick and moving one of the younger players along with the rest of the picks that were on the table with Bridges before.

Cassius wrote:

Revived wrote:

MitchB3 wrote:Shawn Marks looking foolish for not taking that deal the Rockets offered.

You don’t think Rockets would still make that same offer to Marks?

They will come with fewer picks. There’s no way they anticipated getting the #3 while fighting for play-in position, and for that reason I don’t really think this is a good idea.

Anybody they could trade for who is worth a #3 pick is going to be very expensive, no matter how flat we think this draft might be. They’re better off keeping the pick and moving one of the younger players along with the rest of the picks that were on the table with Bridges before.

This draft sucks. Even a #3 pick is pretty worthless and Mikal Bridges is likely to be 5x better than even the #1 overall pick of the draft much less the #3 pick imo.

Hm, I don't know. This is a weird draft so I don't see the Rockets being able to find a trade partner. Like someone else mentioned on here regarding FVV, it might be best to take Topic and let him develop for a year or two to be the future PG.

Revived wrote:

Cassius wrote:

Revived wrote:You don’t think Rockets would still make that same offer to Marks?

They will come with fewer picks. There’s no way they anticipated getting the #3 while fighting for play-in position, and for that reason I don’t really think this is a good idea.

Anybody they could trade for who is worth a #3 pick is going to be very expensive, no matter how flat we think this draft might be. They’re better off keeping the pick and moving one of the younger players along with the rest of the picks that were on the table with Bridges before.

This draft sucks. Even a #3 pick is pretty worthless and Mikal Bridges is likely to be 5x better than even the #1 overall pick of the draft much less the #3 pick imo.

5x better is hyperbole

Mikal Bridges had a peak 3-year (227 game) stretch from age 23 to 25 where he was a 53-39-84 shooter, peaking with one All-Defense team in the final season.

He never made an All Star game, not even as a reserve.

The shooting has declined significantly since:
Two years ago, he dropped to 47% (and this includes his incredible run of 40 burgers after the trade DL).
This past season, he fell further, down into the 43% range.

Even the 2 worst drafts in this millennium (2000 and 2014) had some 1x All stars

2013 had Dipo 2nd (2x AS, 1x all BA, 1x All Defense, steals champ). And hindsight guys in Giannis and Gobert. You could make a decent argument CJ McCollum already had a better career than Bridges will get to.

2000 had KMart, Crawford, and Hedo Turkoglu all in the lottery Late round AS guys Magloire and Redd.

No other draft is really close to producing as little talent as those 2. Bridges wouldn't be the best player in either draft, let alone 5x better.

Your prediction is likely to flop.

Adams and #3 for Poeltl and #19.