As the calendar turns to May, fans don’t have much longer to wait until the 2023 NBA draft lottery takes place on Tuesday, May 16. Courtesy of a fortuitous coin flip, the Houston Rockets are guaranteed a top-six selection, but they’re still praying for Victor (Wembanyama) or a higher-end outcome within that range.
New head coach Ime Udoka also has a second 2023 first-round draft pick headed his way courtesy of the Los Angeles Clippers (thanks to the Eric Gordon trade). After losing tiebreakers involving that pick, Houston ended up with the 20th selection.
Having a pair of top-20 picks, including a top-six selection, should offer a needed infusion of young talent to the rebuilding Rockets. Houston ended the 2022-23 season with the NBA’s second-worst record (22-60) after finishing last in the previous two years.
With optimism in mind, here’s a roundup of who various draft experts are projecting to the Rockets in the newest mock drafts along with finalized lottery odds. We’ll go through this exercise again after May 16, once the first-round order is finalized via the lottery.
(Editor’s note: Each of the NBA mock drafts cited in this roundup was published or updated after the April 17 draft tiebreakers.)
Draft lottery odds for second-worst team (Rockets)
- No. 1: 14%
- No. 2: 13.4%
- No. 3: 12.7%
- No. 4: 12%
- No. 5: 27.8%
- No. 6: 20.0%
(pick odds via Tankathon)
Projections for Houston’s 2023 first-round pick
- John Fanta, Fox Sports, No. 2 overall: Brandon Miller (Alabama: Forward, 20 years old, 6-9)
- Tankathon, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-2)
- Gary Parrish, CBS Sports, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-2)
- NBAdraft.net, No. 2 overall: Brandon Miller (Alabama: Forward, 20 years old, 6-9)
- Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-2)
- Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes, NBC Sports, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-2)
- NBA Draft Room, No. 2 overall: Scoot Henderson (NBA G League Ignite: Guard, 19 years old, 6-2)
Check out Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.
Projections for Houston’s 2023 first-round pick via Clippers
- John Fanta, Fox Sports, No. 20 overall: Jett Howard (Michigan: Wing, 19 years old, 6-8)
- Tankathon, No. 20 overall: Dereck Lively II (Duke: Center, 19 years old, 7-1)
- Gary Parrish, CBS Sports, No. 20 overall: Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine: Wing, 20 years old, 6-7)
- NBAdraft.net, No. 20 overall: Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana: Forward, Senior, 6-9)
- Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report, No. 20 overall: Dereck Lively II (Duke: Center, 19 years old, 7-1)
- Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes, NBC Sports, No. 20 overall: Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine: Wing, 20 years old, 6-7)
- NBA Draft Room, No. 20 overall: Leonard Miller (NBA G League Ignite: Forward, 19 years old, 6-10)
Feel free to peruse Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.
