The 2026 NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror, and the Houston Rockets made one key selection at the start of the second round. Bruce Thornton was drafted at No. 31 by the Rockets, who traded up eight spots to get him. Thornton was the specific player they wanted, and there will naturally be higher expectations on him because of the trade to move up to select the veteran guard from Ohio State.
The Rockets had specific needs on offense for more effective shot-making and scoring, and Thornton met that criterion in college. It will be interesting to see what his role is during his rookie season. Thornton was very appreciative to the Rockets in his first press conference.
Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
"I'm not picky at all. Whoever wanted to give a kid from Fairburn, GA, an opportunity, I'd be very blessed and grateful. So thankful to the Houston Rockets for taking a chance on me, and I'm going to do everything in my power to be the best player I can be for the Houston Rockets," Thornton said.
College players typically don't spend all four seasons at the same place, but that's what Thornton did because he was committed to getting to March Madness with Ohio State. He became a four-year captain with the Buckeyes and achieved that goal of his in his senior season even in arguably the toughest conference in the sport this year in the Big 10.
His leadership has already been praised , and it's clear that his maturity at the position could help him quickly make an impact with the Rockets.
Thornton's mom has been a huge influence on his life, and she played at Georgia. She coached him and gave him tips on how to shoot and play defense.
"It starts on defense. Me just getting to the ball, being disruptive. Making big-time shots. We got great players like Sengun and KD that are very high level, so me just filling into my role at a high level and doing anything they need me to do. Impact winning as much as I can and be a good teammate in the locker room," Thornton said.
The 22-year-old's size has been pointed at as a potential concern for the NBA level. Thornton stands at six feet and is a bit undersized. However, he's built strong at over 220 pounds and has a 6-foot-5 wingspan. Thornton also averaged 1.1 steals per game, a trait his mom taught him as well. His mentioning defense first is an encouraging sign.
The big-time shotmaking is definitely his strength as he averaged almost 20 points per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. His shooting splits are exactly what the Rockets need.
Thornton believes his biggest adjustment will be playing a significantly higher amount of games. Compared to the close to 40 games in college, the NBA is an 82-game season plus the playoffs. The Rockets are expected to be a playoff team again, but whether Thornton will get significant playing time remains to be seen. Eventually in his career, it's possible he can be an important bench scorer that will play all the games.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/rockets/onsi as What We Learned From Bruce Thornton's First Press Conference as a Houston Rocket .
