The Houston Rockets are in one of the most enviable positions of any NBA team heading into the 2025 NBA Draft. Their roster of young, talented players took a major jump this past season, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and winning the Southwest Division crown.
With a top-10 pick in the draft in their back pocket, thanks to the Phoenix Suns collapsing down the stretch and failing to qualify for the postseason, Houston has a plethora of options to consider over the next three weeks.
That pick will likely be shopped around the league in one way or another. The Rockets are in a position where swinging for the fences and acquiring an established star via trade is possible. Using the No. 10 pick as a means of making a major move up in the draft order or securing additional draft capital for the future would be options as well.
Buzz Around Rockets' No. 10 Overall Pick Heating Up to Begin June
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports touched on the options Houston has in a recent report detailing just how available this draft pick will be in the coming weeks.
"League sources expect the Rockets to look into trading this pick, whether it’s a trade way up, a trade out for a star, or a trade out for a group of future picks similar to what the Spurs received from the Timberwolves when they moved up for Rob Dillingham last year."
Any of those outcomes could conceivably put a smile on Rockets GM Rafael Stone's face. It is just a matter of figuring out which move is the best one for Houston to make at this time. Stone will undoubtedly feel that pressure between now and draft night, but he will be dealing from a position of power, which only helps the Rockets' cause.
Decisions like these are why Stone was put in this position. It is time for him to prove his worth to the franchise in what will be one of its most important offseasons in quite some time.