- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 408,249
- Reaction score
- 43
Late Tuesday, the Houston Rockets (52-28) locked up the No. 2 seed in the 2024-25 Western Conference playoffs.
A night later, thanks to an eighth-straight loss from the Phoenix Suns (35-45) that eliminated them from postseason contention, the Rockets also secured a lottery selection in the NBA's upcoming 2025 draft.
Each year, the league holds a weighted lottery to determine the top-four selections among picks that originally belonged to the 14 non-playoff teams from the previous season.
Because of a trade with the Nets last offseason, the Rockets have the right to swap first-round picks with Phoenix in the 2025 first round. (Brooklyn had previously owned that swap right based on a trade sending Kevin Durant to the Suns in early 2023.)
Based on current standings and lottery projections, Houston would otherwise be at No. 27 in the first round and Phoenix (or Brooklyn, via Phoenix) at No. 10.
Thus, that Rockets-Suns swap could be quite lucrative. In ESPN's latest mock draft, insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected South Carolina freshman Collin Murray-Boyles (a 20-year-old, 6-foot-7 power forward) to the Rockets with that No. 10 selection.
Yet, thanks to the NBA's newly revised lottery odds, it's plausible that the Rockets could climb even higher. Should the Suns finish with the tenth-worst record, that pick would have a 13.9% chance of jumping into the top-four lottery selections and a 3.0% chance of being No. 1 overall.
Those are the exact percentages the Atlanta Hawks had after the 2023-24 regular season before landing the No. 1 pick in the 2024 lottery and ultimately using it to select Zaccharie Risacher.
So, stay tuned! With Duke forward Cooper Flagg as the crown jewel among prospects, the 2025 draft lottery will be held on Monday, May 12.
The Rockets have drafted Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard as lottery picks in the past four years, respectively. Houston won one of the four lottery drawn selections in each of those draft classes, and another lottery selection in 2025 could further deepen an already strong young core of talent.
More: With Lakers’ loss, Rockets clinch No. 2 spot in 2025 West playoff field
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: With Suns eliminated, Rockets to gain lottery pick in 2025 NBA draft
Continue reading...
A night later, thanks to an eighth-straight loss from the Phoenix Suns (35-45) that eliminated them from postseason contention, the Rockets also secured a lottery selection in the NBA's upcoming 2025 draft.
Each year, the league holds a weighted lottery to determine the top-four selections among picks that originally belonged to the 14 non-playoff teams from the previous season.
Because of a trade with the Nets last offseason, the Rockets have the right to swap first-round picks with Phoenix in the 2025 first round. (Brooklyn had previously owned that swap right based on a trade sending Kevin Durant to the Suns in early 2023.)
Based on current standings and lottery projections, Houston would otherwise be at No. 27 in the first round and Phoenix (or Brooklyn, via Phoenix) at No. 10.
Thus, that Rockets-Suns swap could be quite lucrative. In ESPN's latest mock draft, insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected South Carolina freshman Collin Murray-Boyles (a 20-year-old, 6-foot-7 power forward) to the Rockets with that No. 10 selection.
Yet, thanks to the NBA's newly revised lottery odds, it's plausible that the Rockets could climb even higher. Should the Suns finish with the tenth-worst record, that pick would have a 13.9% chance of jumping into the top-four lottery selections and a 3.0% chance of being No. 1 overall.
Those are the exact percentages the Atlanta Hawks had after the 2023-24 regular season before landing the No. 1 pick in the 2024 lottery and ultimately using it to select Zaccharie Risacher.
So, stay tuned! With Duke forward Cooper Flagg as the crown jewel among prospects, the 2025 draft lottery will be held on Monday, May 12.
The Rockets have drafted Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard as lottery picks in the past four years, respectively. Houston won one of the four lottery drawn selections in each of those draft classes, and another lottery selection in 2025 could further deepen an already strong young core of talent.
More: With Lakers’ loss, Rockets clinch No. 2 spot in 2025 West playoff field
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: With Suns eliminated, Rockets to gain lottery pick in 2025 NBA draft
Continue reading...
