With the second overall pick in the NBA draft, the Houston Rockets have quite a few prospects they can select and the organization has reportedly narrowed the field down to just two candidates.
The Rockets are said to be very high on Cade Cunningham in the draft but the former Oklahoma State guard is widely expected to be the first player off the board. Houston will be forced to choose a different player should Cunningham go first, as expected.
According to Zach Harper of The Athletic, the Rockets are deciding between Jalen Green of the NBA G League and Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga. Green is expected to be the pick by the Rockets but some within the front office also like Suggs.
League sources have said Houston is heavily leaning toward Jalen Green there, but there are people within the Rockets’ decision-making process pushing for Jalen Suggs out of Gonzaga. Green’s potential as a star wing in this league has the Rockets’ focus, but the idea of Suggs grabbing the momentum at some point exists. Scouts and executives love his size at the point guard position and believe he can be the leader of a young, rebuilding team.
While the Rockets may want Cunningham, it is unclear if they will be able to construct a trade package attractive enough to entice the Pistons to trade back. Certainly, drafting Green or Suggs would be a nice consolation as both players project to have bright futures in the NBA.
In any case, it should be worth monitoring to see which way the Rockets go on draft night. With about a week and a half left until the draft, trade rumors and other speculation should only intensify as it nears closer to July 29.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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