THE NBA Draft has wrapped up, and the next crop of players at the top level are now fully entrenched in their respective teams as season approaches in the coming months.

In fact, with the Summer League taking place over the past few weeks, some of the brightest draftees have already begun making a name for themselves in the NBA, with a fair few catching the eye with dominant performances.

Given the draft has concluded, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at how each side fared on one of the biggest nights on the basketball calendar.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets, who were all active in the first round and acquired some of the best talent in the pool.

Detroit Pistons

For the third year in a row, the Pistons entered the draft with a selection inside the top-five, adding even more quality youth to their roster.

With the fifth overall pick, Detroit acquired Ausar Thompson, a guard who just spent the last year playing in the Overtime Elite League (OTE), an increasingly popular path for the best and brightest young players. Thompson (along with his brother Amen, who was taken one pick earlier) took his game to the next level in the OTE, and established himself as a top-five talent thanks to his freakish athletic ability. A wing with an eye-catching wingspan, Thompson has a ridiculous level of upside and was an easy decision for the Pistons with their first pick.

The Pistons second and final addition of the night was trading for Marcus Sasser later in the first round. Sasser adds even more depth to the team’s guard stocks, and can play as the primary ball-handler given his scoring and facilitating abilities.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors were one of the biggest sliders during the 2022/23 NBA season, and entered the draft looking to retool their roster after some list changes over the past couple of months.

With their sole selection, the Raptors picked up Gradey Dick with the 13th pick. Many had the Magic selecting Dick with the 11th selection, but he fell lower and the Raptors swooped. A sharpshooter who can light it up from behind the arc, the talented offensive player will improve Toronto’s perimeter presence in a big way over the seasons to come.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets have entered into a bit of a rebuild in recent years, but accelerated that process by adding even more young pieces on draft night last month.

With the fourth selection, the Rockets did as expected and acquired the services of Amen Thompson. One of the most exciting prospects in the draft, Thompson will form a scary backcourt with Jalen Green in years to come alongside some other talented youngsters on Houston’s roster. He is one of the best playmakers in the draft and can score the ball in his own right as well, looming as a future star of the league.

The Rockets picked up arguably the steal of the draft with the 20th pick as well, snagging forward Cam Whitmore. Initially expected to be a top 10 pick, Whitmore’s medical report saw him slide to 20, with Houston counting its lucky stars to grab such a quality player that low. He showcased how good he can be with the Summer League MVP award for 2023 earlier this week, and looks set to immediately enter the team’s regular season rotation.