NBA Draft: 3 lottery players the Rockets should trade up to take

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats cuts down the net after defeating the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Villanova defeated Michigan 79-62. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Mikal Bridges – Villanova (Small Forward)

Mikal Bridges would be a perfect fit with the Houston Rockets. He has great potential and could help the team get a little bit younger and potentially fill the void of a small forward need.

Pros

Mikal Bridges is an incredible player who had a standout season for Villanova last year. He played there for three years and improved his game each and every season.

He broke out for 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals & 1.1 blocks per game as someone who can play both the forward and guard position. Bridges did that all while having an insanely good season shooting the basketball from 3 at 43.5%. He would be a perfect fit in Houston as he continues to get better.

Not only does he have a polished offensive game, he was also one of the best two-way players in college basketball last season. He has the defensive ability to lock down opponents and also pick up plenty of steals and blocks.

Cons

Sharing the ball is one of the few cons with Bridges. He averaged just 1.9 assists per game and 1.6 for his college career. At 6’7 and 210 lbs, he also isn’t the strongest and most physical player available in the draft, either.

Mikal is also a little bit older than some of the other prospects. This comes with its advantages, but it also means that he’ll be 22 when the season rolls along.

Overall

Overall, you still can’t go wrong taking this guy. The New York Knicks are a team that has shown great interest in him at the No. 9 spot in the draft. Could the Rockets pull off a heist and move to that spot to select Bridges?

Next: Prospect No. 2