Fans of the Houston Rockets were more nervous than people holding actual lottery tickets and waiting to hear the numbers called to learn if they possessed the winning ticket for the jackpot.
As the names of the 14 NBA teams in attendance for the 2023 NBA draft lottery were announced Tuesday in Chicago, the Rockets seemed to get closer and closer to winning the big prize, which would have been 19-year-old French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
With new head coach Ime Udoka on the stage as a representative for the Rockets, 10 teams were announced, and that left four chances for Houston to have the rights to add the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama to a young lineup that looks very promising for the future.
Yet, as luck would have it, with four envelopes left to choose from, Houston heard its name called at No. 4 overall. Instead, it was in-state rival San Antonio that had its card pulled for the right to select No. 1 overall in the June 22 draft.
With the opportunity to draft Wembanyama gone, it is time for Udoka and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and Udoka to work on evaluating who will fit into Houston’s rotation for next season.
“This is a really talented draft,” Stone said about the draft prospects. “I’m happy. I think we are going to add another talented guy. We feel really good about the direction our franchise is headed in with our young core and ability to add in free agency.”
Leading options at No. 4 could include guard Scoot Henderson of the NBA G League Ignite; guard Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite; forward Brandon Miller of Alabama; and many more.
“Our approach for the past year has been that we needed to transition out of that phase,” Stone said from the draft combine. “One is better than four, we can all do the math, but I am excited that we’re going to get an opportunity to get a really good player. We have been looking at this draft for like three years. This is a really good draft. I’m very confident there are uber-talented players that will be available.”
With the departure of James Harden via trade during the 2020-21 NBA season, the Rockets have been in a rebuilding phase that many hoped to complete with the addition of Wembanyama.
As it stands, the existing young core of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. had just 22 wins last season. Once it finished, former head coach Stephen Silas did not have his contract extended, ending his three-year tenure with the team.
Now, Udoka is tasked with transitioning that young group to its next level, and likely with some help from the No. 4 overall pick in June.
