The Houston Rockets were a very active team in the NBA draft from 2021 to 2024. After the second-best player in franchise history, James Harden , was shipped out of town, the Rockets went through their worst three-year stretch record-wise in franchise history.
That meant the Rockets were at the top of the draft for several years in a row. The Rockets drafted seven players in the top 20 from 2021-2024, with four of those picks coming in the top four. That streak ended last year's draft, as the Rockets did have a top-10 pick but sent it to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade.
The results have been mixed so far, with the Rockets moving on from their first post-Harden pick, Jalen Green , as part of the Durant trade, and with only one of the draft picks making the All-Star team in Alperen Sengun , who has now made it back-to-back seasons.
Amen Thompson has turned into one of the best defenders in the NBA. Jabari Smith has improved every season but has yet to have a breakout season like the two players drafted ahead of him, and Reed Sheppard was much better in year two, but the jury is still out on what he will become in the NBA.
However, despite all the picks the Rockets have had over the last few seasons, they have not drafted a second-round pick who has actually seen the court for them since 2017. That player was Isaiah Hartenstein , who bounced between the G League and the Rockets.
The 2026 draft is the first draft since 2018; the Rockets will not have a first-round pick. The Rockets do have two second-round picks, numbers 39 and 52, and it is a good chance they keep at least one of them and hope to find a diamond in the rough.
Let's take a look at a few of the players the Rockets could possibly take a chance on in this year's second round.
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots over Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The Rockets learned a hard lesson this past season about the importance of backcourt depth. After trading away Jalen Green and the injury to Fred VanVleet , the Rockets had one of the thinnest backcourt depths in the NBA.
Sheppard and Thompson were the only consistent guards, and that caused issues all season long. Bradley is a 6-2, 205-lb guard who played all four seasons in college and had his best season in his senior year.
Bradley has a strong frame and is an aggressive, tenacious defender, which Ime Udoka would love, but he has also improved his 3-point shooting. Bradley shot 39.4 percent from downtown and proved to be a steady force for the Wildcats all season. Bradley is the perfect low-risk, high-reward type of player.
Even though he isn't super athletic and his 3-point volume wasn't high in college, he has a high basketball IQ and is highly skilled, and could provide some much-needed backup guard minutes, something the Rockets desperately could use next season, especially as it will take time for VanVleet to get back up to speed.
UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) shoots up and over Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) on Monday, April 6, 2026, during the NCAA men's basketball national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Rockets currently have three centers on the roster. Sengun, Steven Adams , and Clint Capela are all currently under contract. The Rockets, however, may be looking to go younger at the backup center position.
With Adams coming off another major lower-leg injury that ended his season in January and Capela's age starting to show as he enters the last part of his career, the Rockets may look to bring in a center who can grow with the young core.
That brings us to Tarris Reed, who averaged 14.7 points, 9 rebounds, and shot 60.7 percent from the field in his last season with the Huskies. The Rockets went all in with the double big lineup in 2025, pairing Adams and Sengun in the frontcourt.
The Rockets didn't use it as much last season, but it was part of their game plan before Adams got hurt. Reed is in the same mold as Steven Adams, standing 6-11 and weighing 265 pounds. Reed is more of a traditional center.
Reed is a physical force in the paint, setting great screens, scoring in the low block, and being a good lob threat, something the Rockets haven't had at the center position in a while. Reed, like Bradley, played four seasons in college, which is rare in today's one-and-done era.
Reed is the type of physical player Udoka likes to have on the court, and he doesn't have to play right away; the Rockets can develop him in the G League until they determine whether they want to keep all three centers.
Of course, there are areas the big man has to work on. He is not a floor spacer whatsoever; he struggles when he has to switch onto guards, which is something every big man has to do in the NBA, and he isn't the most athletic big man when it comes to quickness or lateral movement.
Even with the flaws, Reed is the type of player you can stash with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and slowly bring along. Reed and Bradley could be off the board before the 39th pick, but I wouldn't be suprised if the Rockets dont package the 39th and 52nd picks to move up several spots in this year's draft.
It is also possible that both players could still be on the board, as it is difficult to predict where players will go in the second round.
Strengths:
One of the best catch-and-shoot players in the draft has a high shooting volume. Tough-minded player coming out of the Kelvin Sampson system.
Weaknesses:
Lacks playmaking skills and the ability to create his own shot. At times, shot selection is an issue, and he doesn't have great ball-handling skills to create separation.
Strength:
Versatile forward who can handle the ball, with above-average passing skills, high basketball IQ, and some of the best measurables at the combine.
Weaknesses:
Lacks a perimeter game and sometimes struggles with tunnel vision on offense.
The two-night NBA draft kicks off June 23rd, and the second round starts June 24th.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/rockets/onsi as Players the Rockets Should Keep an Eye on in the Second Round .
