Rockets fans might get to live Dream of seeing franchise legend's son up close

Hakeem Olajuwon is the best player in Houston Rockets history. If they have an opportunity to land his son, they should do it: Full stop.

They may have that opportunity. There's buzz around Aziz Olajuwon right now. He just received an offer from the University of Houston. Now, he's on NBA radars.

That's typically the case for legacy players. Everyone loves to see a former player's son in the league (even if it makes them feel just a little old). Besides, Aziz has Olajuwon blood in him:

That's enough to be worth a modest investment.

Rockets should honor Olajuwon's greatness

I don't need to tell you how great Hakeem Olajuwon was. He's the greatest player in Rockets history.

Olajuwon led the Rockets to back-to-back titles in the 90s. In 1994, he was the only player to win MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. That was arguably the best individual season in NBA history. Once more:

The best player in Houston Rockets history.

That's a reason to consider Aziz. It's arguably not enough on its merit.

Should they be looking at him?

Rockets should be able to afford Olajuwon's son

As it stands, Aziz Olajuwon is the 92nd-ranked player in ESPN's 100 recruiting class.

So, he's not a red-hot prospect. He's likely to mean more to the Rockets than he will to other teams. As of now, this looks like a player whom the Rockets could buy a second-round pick to acquire.

That said, we're extremely early in the 2026 draft cycle. If Olajuwon impresses at the University of Houston, his draft stock could skyrocket. If he plays poorly, his NBA future could be jeopardized.

It's also possible that the Rockets won't be the only team interested. Olajuwon's pedigree will be intriguing. Some GMs may feel that he's got decent NBA odds by virtue of being Olajuwon's son.

There are limits to what the Rockets should do to acquire Olajuwon. They wouldn't trade for a top-five pick to land him. Sentimentality aside, there's only so much value in the move.

Yet, there's some value in that sentimentality. Drafting Hakeem Olajuwon's son will put a handful of extra butts in the seats. It'll also deepen the Rockets' culture. Anything that keeps The Dream around the squad is a net positive.

The Rockets have to buy an early second and draft Olajuwon if it's an option - they just have to. Those picks are low value anyway, and adding Olajuwon's son would just be too sweet:

He's the best player to ever wear their uniform.