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Houston Rockets: 3 options for pick No. 2 after NBA Draft Lottery

By N.B. Lindberg

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after making a game-winning three point basket in overtime to defeat the UCLA Bruins 93-90 during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after making a game-winning three point basket in overtime to defeat the UCLA Bruins 93-90 during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets, NBA Draft
Hakeem Olajuwon (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Last night was a moment of relief for the Houston Rockets franchise. For weeks a dark cloud hung over the franchise as it apprehensively waited on the results of the NBA draft lottery. The Rockets’ anxiety was well warranted, as there was almost a fifty-fifty chance that they would leave the NBA draft lottery, fresh off of the worst record in the league, empty-handed.

If the Rockets pick landed outside of the top-four it would be swapped with the Miami Heat’s 18th pick via the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thankfully, the Rockets sent franchise icon, Hakeem Olajuwon, to swat away any and all anxiety.

With “The Dream” in tow, the Rockets’ nightmare scenario was avoided and they walked away from the NBA draft lottery with the number two overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. While securing the first pick would have been “the dream” scenario all over again, the second pick will still presumably give the Rockets a chance at every prospect not named Cade Cunningham.

Who should the Houston Rockets select in the 2021 NBA Draft?

The Rockets have a difficult decision to make with the second pick in the NBA draft. Cade Cunningham is the unanimous number one overall prospect, but after him, there is plenty of debate over who is the second-best player in this draft.

Related Story. Ranking the top-five 2021 NBA draft prospects

Should the Rockets go for the player with the most upside? The young man who is the surest thing? Or perhaps the player that fits best with their current roster? If Rafael Stone, the Rockets General Manager, is to be believed, the Rockets know exactly which type of player they’re going to target.

Stone: "The goal is to find a star player. That's always our goal. When you bring in young players, you're really looking for star potential." #Rockets

— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 23, 2021

If the Rockets view star potential as the most important quality with the second pick then that changes their thinking a little bit. These are the three options for the Rockets with the second overall pick ranked by their star potential.

Next: Star potential #3