Next month's NBA Draft will present a great opportunity for teams to upgrade their rosters with relatively team-friendly contracts. The top of the draft class is rich and loaded with players capable of single-handedly elevating the stakes of a franchise.
AJ Dybantsa is at the top of the class and could help the Washington Wizards get back to contention in the Eastern Conference, forming a triumvirate around Trae Young and Anthony Davis . Granted, it's not a guarantee that the Wizards will keep their top overall draft pick, as there's been an increasing amount of buzz regarding the possibility of Washington moving the pick.
They'd have a number of suitors, if they choose to go in that direction. The Utah Jazz would figure to be especially interested in acquiring the pick and ability to nab Dybantsa, as he has already expressed interest in remaining in Utah, the state in which he starred collegiately
.The draft would also seem to present a great opportunity for a team to shore up their needs on the back end of the roster, addressing their roster on the margins. The Houston Rockets figure to be exhibit A, as it pertains to this scenario.Rockets general manager Rafael Stone stated that this was Houston's plan this offseason, opting for internal growth among the Rockets' young core, while acknowledging the need to bolster the tail end of the roster.
In fact, Stone admitted the unlikelihood of Houston bringing back their entire roster. Houston has two draft picks in the second round of this year's draft - holding picks 39 and 52.
In the latest mock draft by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman , the Rockets select Aaron Nkrumah, of Tennessee State. Wasserman's depiction of Nkrumah's player profile is below:
"Aaron Nkrumah has capitalized on the draft process, having impressed at the G League Camp and earned an invite to the NBA combine. He looked like he belonged there during scrimmages, and given the archetype his frame, improved shooting, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals can create, there should be enough second-round interest in Nkrumah after he presumably goes through over a dozen workouts."
Nkrumah started at the Division III level for Worcester State, near his hometown. He spent the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Tennessee State and had a career season across the board as a senior, averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, three assists, 2.8 steals, 43.8 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from long-range and 78.6 percent from the foul line.
He plays hard on both ends of the floor and has improved his shooting stroke over the years, including both outside shooting and free throw shooting. Wasserman compared Nkrumah to Keon Ellis - the four-year veteran wing for the Cleveland Cavaliers who spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings . If Nkrumah is able to live up to that player comparison, he'd be a great late-round addition for the Rockets next month.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/rockets/onsi as Mock Draft: Rockets Land Underrated Wing in Second Round .
