Rockets Should Pay Close Attention to March Madness

Despite the Houston Rockets being in play for the second seed in the Western Conference at 43-25, they're also in play for a top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. Houston is currently in one of the best situations in the NBA, owning the Phoenix Suns' first-round pick while watching its young core rapidly develop into a playoff team.

The Rockets have benefited off of Phoenix's tumultuous season, as the Suns are 31-36 and sitting one spot out of the Play-In Tournament. Despite stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker performing at high levels once again, the Suns are struggling and will lose their first-round pick this year due to swaps and protections involving other teams. Houston also own Phoenix's 2027 first-round pick.

It's very possible that the Rockets end up using their stash of draft picks in a trade for a star, but assuming they hold on to their 2025 pick and take another prospect to add to the young core, they have a wide range of players to choose from. This is perhaps the most important time of the year if you're a draft scout, as conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament highlight college basketball in its most famous month.

While it's unlikely the Rockets end up in contention for a prospect like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, or Ace Bailey, there is plenty of late-lottery talent that could make an immediate impact on the team. Asa Newell, Jeremiah Fears, and Collin Murray-Boyles are players that Houston could use, as its biggest needs are at the backup point guard and center positions.

The 2025 NBA Draft class is one of the more highly regarded pools of players in years. The class is extremely young, with most of the top prospects being freshmen in college or teenagers overseas. Despite the young rotation, Houston would likely get even younger with its pick. It doesn't necessarily hurt, but it's tough to see that prospect get big minutes when rookies and sophomores like Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore can't quite crack Ime Udoka's rotation.

Nevertheless, the Rockets, along with other teams in play for a lottery pick, will be watching March Madness closely. They have the unique chance to draft and stash another player as they move along their rebuild quicker than expected.