Rockets open to moving No. 3 pick in 2024 draft for Win-Now player

The Houston Rockets could opt to use the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as a bargaining chip.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the team is “open” to trading the pick if the return comes in the form of an impact player.

“The Houston Rockets are willing to move the No. 3 overall pick for a player who can help the franchise win now and move toward becoming a playoff team and sustained success as a team in playoffs in the future,” Scotto wrote.

Houston is pretty used to picking toward the top of the draft at this point. The franchise hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2019-20 and has had a top-four selection in each of the last three seasons.

While adding another young player can’t hurt, leveraging this opportunity into a more experienced asset could be just what Houston needs to jump into the playoff race.

The Rockets went 41-41 last season, finishing 11th in the Western Conference.

This mark left them just short of the play-in tournament, but was a major improvement over previous seasons.

Offseason additions like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have been a major reason for the increase in productivity, and the addition of another established veteran could also help the development of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson.

The 2024 NBA Draft will take place June 26-27 in Brooklyn, New York.