Prominent draft analyst reveals Rockets plans with 20th pick

With the NBA Draft just a handful of days away, teams have been lining up second visits with prospects. As a result, mock drafts have been changing by the day.

For example, the Houston Rockets have been rumored to be interested in Villanova forward Cam Whitmore with the fourth pick, even though smart money suggests they'll take Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite with the pick instead.

What's even less clear is what the Rockets intend to do with the 20th pick, which they essentially landed by way of the Eric Gordon trade. The Rockets will have an abundance of options with the pick, as several talented players will still be available since the pick falls right outside the lottery.

Prominent draft analyst reveals Rockets plans with 20th pick

As reports are starting to come out regarding teams' draft plans, the Rockets' strategy has started to get out. Long-time NBA Draft analyst Rafael Barlowe joined the Rocket Fuel podcast and laid out the Rockets' intentions with the 20th pick in Thursday's NBA Draft.

"From what I've been told, even though the Rockets are working out a bunch of players in that range, I've been told that it's unlikely they bring in another young player on that roster. I've heard that they will probably try to trade that pick or make some trades or just kind of bring in some veterans.

Back-up center and kind of like a table-setter point guard are their highest priorities.

From my knowledge, they're probably looking to move the pick."

It'll be interesting to see what the Rockets can net with the 20th pick, especially if they are hoping to land a proven contributor and/or veteran player. Perhaps a team that doesn't have a first-round pick could be interested in acquiring one, albeit near the bottom of the first-round.

If this is the case, the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks are the three teams without a first-round pick in this year's draft. In fact, those three teams don't have any pick at all during this year's draft.

The good thing is we won't have to wait long to find out, as the draft will be held on Thursday, June 22nd.