The Picks We Owe to OKC

Would you trade the Brooklyn picks to OKC to get our picks back? That way we could continue to trust the process. Threaten OKC that we are going to compete starting next year and sign overpriced free agents if they don't do this deal, and they will end up with three years of the number 14 pick in the draft.

 

Gunna be a garbage pick when Wemby takes us to a top 4 seed anyway.

 

I keep hearing about 2024 and 2025 being weaker classes.

 

Try not to be too positive. The 2024 pk is not ours regardless.

 

Thinking more and more about the Rockets options these next two years leads me to this conclusion more and more.

Just deal with the draft pick being gone already and keep continuing the path. The most important thing that can happen in the 23/24 season is for Jalen, Bari, Sengun, and our 23 draft picks to develop. Go into the 24 offseason assuming they’ll only be adding talent through free agency.

 

If we don't get one of the big three in the draft this year, Wemby, scoot or Miller go for broke with Amen. Hire the best, the most expensive shooting coach and go for broke. Make him the point guard. We can definitely be in the top three tankathon teams next year. This is in our control. Let the guys run around for one more season. Load manage Jalen, Jabari and the guys -- whatever it takes.

 

I agree completely. The 24/26 picks are a sunk cost and the 25 pick looks unlikely to convey unless we land Wemby or Scoot.

I would only use the cap space if we can get a player on a team friendly contract which is incredibly unlikely in free agency. The only way I see us using the cap space responsibly is if we trade for a good role player like Bridges.

What difference does it make to us if we give OKC the 7th pick because we didn't sign anyone or we give them the 13th pick because we signed a bunch of overpaid FA vets that don't have room for development and will keep us mediocre for a decade.

I'd rather skip 24/26 but otherwise let these guys grow.

It would be terrible if we lost out on some star in the 25 draft cause we went all in with D'Angelo Russell and Khris Middleton just to get mopped up in the 1st round the next few years.

The thunder started their rebuild ~1.5yrs before us, have a young star, and still may not make the play in. You just gotta keep building.

 

We need to hire that shooting coach no matter what...

 

Why would you want to be in the tankathon next year? Seriously. Regardless of our record, there would be a 50%+ chance our pick goes to OKC in a bad draft. It’s not worth it.

 

Thanks so much Tilly.

 

Come on. Players in the 2025 draft class are 16 right now.

 

The OKC picks are a sink cost, you cannot worry about them. At least they have top 4 protections on the two we lose and the other swap is top 10 protected.

So if it’s that great a pick, we get to keep it.

The Rockets cannot control where the ping balls bounce, but they can control things like quality of coaching, resources on play development, building a strong culture and targeting players that are smart and will play hard.

While Green and Smith are not setting the world on fire right now, both have shown flashes and are very young with unrealized upside.

The Rockets have some good pieces. Sengun is looking like a long term piece as well.

 

on the bright side we'll probably retain our 2025 pick

 

I think we need some tough veterans to mentor these young guys regardless. Need to make some drastic changes to the culture. We drafted a lot of solid prospects and some of them have had a couple years to get their feet wet, it's time to get serious about putting things together into a real team. Can't get stuck in a cycle of constantly tanking and trading away our best players.

 

Perfectly well said Nook! I have been saying this on Twitter as well. The OKC picks are a sunk cost. What the Rockets do next season shouldn't bring those into play. While the team will pivot, they are not going to automatically rocket off. Look, they PUNTED on development this year. So guess what? Next year WILL be development. And the record will likely be sub Play-in. And that's FINE as long as the trajectory is going UP. They will give their pick to OKC. Probably Top 10. Givony says the draft stinks, so one can take solace in that at least. Rockets also have the BKN FRP next year to compensate.

But next year IS DEVELOPMENT. Be prepared. Even with potential good vets added. Look where IND and ORL are right now. That's where the Rockets likely are next year. As long as the high value draft picks improve, it will be a success.

 

theres never a reason to be in tankathon as our very own experience has repeatedly shown its irrelevant whether you get top pick or midteen pick...

we may even be better off with midteen picks because you avoid being pressurized by public into drafting the hype guys instead of the real good ones...

a lot of rockets trouble is just that ie drafting the wrong hyped up guys with top picks and now holding the real talent back to save face and avoid top picks looking like failures and busts

 

I'm not sure we'll make the playoffs next year, but it's time to consolidate and get better. If we didn't make that Westbrook trade, we'd have some amazing draft assets to work with in terms of acquiring players via trade, but we still are in a decent spot.

 

Next years pick will be 10 or above so . . . .We good

Rocket River