5 players the Houston Rockets selected late in the NBA Draft

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Memphis Grizzlies Dillon Brooks (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mention: Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks is perhaps one of the best second-round draft picks the Houston Rockets have selected in the history of the organization. It’s a wonder how the 2016-17 All-American slipped to the second round, considering how he shot 40.1 percent from deep during his final season at Oregon, not to mention averaging 16 points per game in consecutive seasons.

Brooks also drained game-winners over Tennessee, California, and UCLA, which also demonstrated the clutch gene. But despite his 6-foot-7 frame, the scouting report coming out of Oregon was that he would struggle to score against wings in the NBA, because he spent alot of time playing as a small four.

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The Rockets drafted him with the 45th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, although they immediately traded him in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick, which was later used on DeAnthony Melton. Although Brooks ranks sixth on this list, it’s not because he’s the sixth best player on the list, but rather because he never actually played for the Rockets.

Brooks has developed an impressive three-year career with the Memphis Grizzlies thus far, as he averaged 11 points as a rookie and played in all 82 NBA games. Brooks also made 35.6 percent of his 3-pointers as a rookie, which is actually his lowest clip from long-range in his pro career.

Brooks has been a key reason for the Memphis Grizzlies’ success this season, as he’s averaged 15.7 points while also appearing in all 65 of the Grizzlies’ games. Brooks has also continued to be reliable from downtown, as he’s made 36.9 percent of his treys.

This resulted in Brooks landing a $35 million contract extension this season, which is yet another sign of the player he’s developed into. At just 24-years-old, Brooks, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson are one of the better young trios in the league, and will be a team to look out for in the coming years.

But it was the Rockets who first noticed him during the second-round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

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