The Houston Rockets’ window is open. Two second-round picks won’t close it — but the right selections could sharpen the edge.
The Rockets were supposed to take a step forward this season. In many ways, they did. Kevin Durant was healthy for nearly the entire regular season, Amen Thompson posted career highs across the board, and Alperen Sengun earned his second All-Star nod. Then the playoffs arrived, and so did the injuries.
Durant’s ankle gave out at the worst possible moment, and Houston was eliminated in six games by a Los Angeles Lakers squad playing without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves for much of the series.
The talent is clearly there. The margin for error is not.
With no first-round picks, Houston cannot swing for stars. What they can do is find shooters and depth pieces that make a contending roster harder to guard.
Rockets Draft Picks
- Round 2 — No. 39 (via Chicago)
- Round 2 — No. 53 (own)
Rockets Draft Needs
Houston’s biggest weakness was repeatedly exposed in the playoffs: their offense without KD. When Durant was off the floor, Houston shot 39% from the field and 29% from three.
Reed Sheppard is a reliable perimeter threat, but he cannot be the only one. Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are all built on athleticism and defense, a winning formula with Durant healthy and a liability without him. The priority is clear: find players who can space the floor and give coach Ime Udoka offensive options off the bench.
Rockets Draft Targets
Christian Anderson — PG/SG — Texas Tech | Projected: Late First Round
Anderson is the most ambitious get on this list, and most mocks have him going 19 to 23, meaning Houston would need to trade up. The fit, however, is undeniable. He averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 assists while shooting 41.5% from three for the Red Raiders, and his pick-and-roll vision and three-point range give him a clear pathway to a sustained NBA role, precisely what this roster is missing.
Emanuel Sharp — SG — Houston | Projected: Second Round
Sharp earns his spot entirely on merit. The senior Cougar shot just under 40% from three over the past two seasons — efficiently, on volume, and with a decisive release that translates to the next level. He posted a 3.1 steal% over three seasons and regularly drew assignments against the opposing team’s best wing. Houston is not asking him to create, just shoot and defend, and Sharp does both.
Tarris Reed Jr. — C — UConn | Projected: Late Second Round or Undrafted
Reed is not a shooter, and that is worth stating plainly. But after averaging 20.8 points and 13.0 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament on 58.2% shooting, he is hard to ignore. At 6-foot-10 and 265 pounds, he fills the physical backup role Houston lacks when Sengun picks up foul trouble. In a 7-game series, that physicality has real value — and at No. 53, the price is right.
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