NBA Mock Draft: Rockets land perfect fit in latest mock

The Houston Rockets have an embarrassment of riches.

They have so many quality young players that they could barely find playing time for their third overall pick during the 2024-25 season. Reed Sheppard saw far more minutes on the bench than a high lottery pick expects. Cam Whitmore has seen his minutes decline.

How could they add another lottery pick to the mix?

That's the dilemma they're facing ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. The Rockets own the 10th pick by way of the Suns. With a surplus of young talent, some fans think they need to trade the pick. That said, the Rockets could justify using their selection if they can identify a player who can help them right now.

That's what ESPN has them doing in their latest mock.

Rockets nab perfect fit in new mock

They have the Rockets selecting Arizona's Carter Bryant.

For the uninitiated, Bryant is a 6'8" wing with impressive foot speed. He looks like a multiposition defender at the NBA level. He may be someone who will be ready to contribute to a professional team from day one.

That's not to say Bryant projects strictly as a role player. Bryant has flashed a bit of ball-handling, and he's a fantastic positional passer. He's got some upside, but with his physical profile and 37.1% three-point shooting, he's also got a high floor as a 3-and-D wing.

That makes him a potential win-now rotation player. Some will protest that it doesn't make him a perfect fit for the Rockets. They've got a lot of young wing talent:

How will Bryant fit in?

Rockets can find room for Bryant

Let's make one thing clear. Saying Bryant could be a day one contributor isn't to say he'll slide right into the starting lineup. It's saying that he could be a solid 10-15 minute per game rotation guy early.

Assuming that Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Cam Whitmore are all on the squad when 2025-26 tips off, it won't be easy to find more time for him than that. Still, it should be noted that Ime Udoka isn't allergic to wing-heavy lineups. Eason saw time at the 2 this year. If Bryant is good, Udoka will find a spot for him.

Now, let's take a longer view. Smith Jr. has contract negotiations coming up. If the Rockets aren't sure about extending him at a high cost, they could be inclined to replace him with Bryant.

His remarkably 8'10" standing reach exceeds Smith Jr.'s 8'5" mark. That's not reason enough to pencil him in as Smith Jr.'s replacement, but Bryant could be a functionally similar player at a substantially smaller price.

Nobody should put the cart before the horse. Bryant isn't even a Rocket yet. The team may not even use this pick, but if they do, he'd be a fantastic choice.

The Rockets should consider adding him to their embarrassment of riches.