In one of the most important dates on this year’s calendar to the Houston Rockets, the NBA holds its annual draft lottery on Tuesday night from the league’s draft combine in Chicago. The event finalizes the first-round pick order for the NBA’s 2022 rookie draft on June 23.
After finishing with the league’s worst record (20-62) in the 2020-21 regular season, the Rockets have the maximum possible odds for a top selection. However, those odds are not as strong as they used to be, thanks to the NBA’s recently revised lottery weighting percentages — designed to disincentivize tanking schemes for higher draft picks.
The lottery determines the top-four picks among the NBA’s 14 non-playoff teams, with the rest (No. 5 through No. 14) slotted by record.
So, will the Rockets land a lottery pick that puts them in position to draft an elite prospect such as Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, or Auburn’s Jabari Smith? Read on for details of what to watch for, along with timing considerations and other relevant information.
