4 Options with the third pick the Houston Rockets have to consider

It's good to be flexible. It's best to keep an open mind. With that said, you don't want to be too open-minded. As Richard Dawkins infamously said, you don't want your brains to fall out.

The Houston Rockets have landed the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Fortune smiled upon the organization on lottery day. The Rockets were supposed to land the ninth overall pick - they made a tremendous leap in the lottery.

Now, they have a lot of options. The Rockets should keep an open mind, but they shouldn't be too open-minded, either. The most important objective for Rafael Stone is to maximize the value of this pick.

Here are four options he should consider before making a decision.

1. Draft best player available

We figured we'd start simple.

This may also be the best option. There are plenty of benefits associated with drafting a player. To begin with, you're bringing in a cost-controlled player. No matter how well your selection pans out, they'll be an inexpensive talent for the first seven years of their career.

The Rockets have to make decisions about Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun soon. Over the next several years, they'll have a lot of young, talented players to pay. Having a rookie scale deal on the books would make their life easier.

That's not the only benefit involved in simply keeping the pick. You're also bringing in the third overall pick in the NBA draft. Granted, this seems like a weak class, but you can draft a future All-Star with the third pick in any class if you choose wisely.

With that in mind...