FRESH off their most successful season in years, the Houston Rockets are now armed with a top-10 selection at the 2025 NBA Draft, boasting the capabilities to add to the young talent already thriving on the roster.

The Rockets became one of the best teams in the Western Conference, clinching the second seed late in the season after a serious step forward in comparison to previous campaigns. Young talent acquired at the draft took the next step, and the future is now extremely bright for Houston.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Rockets found themselves matched up with the Golden State Warriors, which was extremely unfortunate as the latter had traded for Jimmy Butler to pair with Steph Curry, and looked a completely different side, and a much better one than the seventh seed. In a seven game series, the Rockets fell to the Warriors, who simply brought too much postseason experience to the table and delivered when it mattered most.

However, the championship window is far from closed for the Rockets, and their options are open after trading for a draft pick that has landed inside the top-10 in a loaded draft class.

Houston Rockets

Draft Selections

10, 59

Contracted Players

Fred VanVleet (team option), Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. (team option), Amen Thompson (team option), Jock Landale, Alperen Sengun, Aaron Holiday (team option), Tari Eason (team option), Cam Whitmore (team option), Jeenathan Williams (non-guaranteed)

There is every chance the Rockets trade this pick, given they could stand to gain from adding an established star, especially given the lack of experience brought them undone in the postseason, so putting together a package for a superstar could be the move.

However, if they opt to keep their top-10 selection, it could help build the roster for the future given how deep the draft class is. With a few positional needs for the Rockets if they are to truly contend, the draft could be the perfect place to add even more exciting young talent.

Arizona’s Carter Bryant could be a solid option for the team, given his style of play suits the roster they already have. A rangy forward with plenty of athleticism, Bryant could help the Rockets almost immediately, given his ability to slot into the rotation as a role player.

However, his ceiling could see him develop into an All-Star, especially if he improves his handle and can attack the defence off the dribble. With solid shooting mechanics as it stands and impressive athleticism, Bryant could either pull up from range or attack the closeout if he can get a tighter handle.

Another possibility could be for the team to add to their backcourt stocks, which would make Kasparas Jakucionis an intriguing option. Bringing plenty of height to the point guard position at six-foot-seven, Jakucionis has enormous potential if he can develop other areas of his game.

Although he is prone to turning the ball over and proving careless with his passes at times, his height combined with the ability to be the primary ball-handler make him a unique prospect, and the Rockets have the win-now roster to allow Jakucionis to develop now.

Finally, if he is still on the board, Duke Blue Devils wing Kon Knueppel could be a solid addition to the team. The sharpshooter seems much more NBA ready than Houston’s similar selection last year in Reed Sheppard, and could impact immediately.

The best shooter in the draft and lights out when he finds his groove from range, he could benefit from the passing of big man Sengun as well as the defensive attention Green demands with ball in hand, so he could get some easy shots in his rookie season.