NBA Mock Draft: Rockets create rich person's problem in latest mock

Some fans will tell you that the Houston Rockets don't need any more young players.

It's a reasonable position. The Rockets are flush with young talent. Developmental reps for Reed Sheppard have been hard to come by. Cam Whitmore is getting squeezed out of the rotation. What's the point of adding more young talent if it won't get on the floor?

Still, there are counterarguments. Plenty of young Rockets will be due for extensions soon. The Rockets will need cost-controlled talent. They may also let a player or two walk. Jabari Smith Jr.'s upcoming negotiations have the potential to be particularly irksome.

A new mock draft has them potentially taking his replacement.

Rockets select versatile big in new mock

CBS Sports has the Rockets taking Georgia's Asa Newell in their new mock.

Let's start with a couple of caveats. Firstly, no outlets are accounting for the fact that Houston could trade their pick. There's a working assumption that every team will use their pick in these mocks.

Secondly, CBS Sports are outright rogues in the mock draft world. That's not a criticism - it's a compliment. CBS Sports go by their own convictions and disregard consensus in their mock drafts. The general order of this draft is unique, and that's part of how they have Newell landing in Houston when other mocks don't.

With those facts established, Newell would be an interesting choice. He's a similar prospect to Smith Jr., although there are differences. Newell's superior vertical leap may make him a better rim protector, but his feet may not be as quick as Smith Jr.'s. As a 29.1% three-point shooter, Newell is not the shooting prospect that Smith Jr. was either.

Is he the right prospect for the Rockets?

Rockets should consider Newell

It's a tough call.

As long as Smith Jr. is on the roster, Newell is likely to suffer a similar fate as Sheppard. It will be difficult to find minutes for him.

Granted, Newell may be more viable at the 5. That's fine, but the Rockets are in win now mode. They'll want a ready-made contributor like Steven Adams behind Alperen Sengun, if they don't retain Adams outright.

That said, if the Rockets are trepiditious about Smith Jr.'s next deal, Newell becomes a very intriguing choice. He could replace Smith Jr. at a fraction of the cost. He won't be as impactful as him immediately, but frankly, Smith Jr. hasn't been so impactful that it's unreasonable to think Newell could approach his productivity in short order.

Yet, even if the Rockets do see Smith Jr. as part of the future, they could justify selecting Newell. Sheppard could explode as a sophomore and disqualify himself as the prevailing case study for the Rockets having too much young talent. The Rockets could select Newell and let the chips fall as they may:

Whether they need him or not.