Rockets projected to miss golden opportunity in newest mock draft

The Houston Rockets have been lucky to have Rafael Stone at the helm. He has largely made excellent decisions. Still, his choice to trade the Nets' 2026 first-round pick back to them may loom as an egregious mistake in time.

The rationale behind the deal made sense. The Rockets were sending the Nets some of their picks back in exchange for a higher volume of future Suns' picks. That would allow them more flexibility in trade negotiations down the line. That makes sense.

That doesn't mean it's going to work out. Flash forward to 2025, and the Nets are the worst team in the NBA. They haven't won a game in seven tries.

Now, Bleacher Report is projecting them to land the number one pick in a loaded draft class.

Rockets could have missed a golden opportunity

Let's get the caveats out of the way.

It's possible that the Nets would have hesitated to trade Mikal Bridges if the Rockets weren't willing to send them some picks back. That's fair, but Houston could still have played hardball. The Nets would still have been a non-playoff team without their own future picks. The Rockets would have still had leverage.

Moreover, Bleacher Report can't "project" the lottery. With the league's new flattened odds, the Nets could easily land fourth. It's a fair point, but in simple terms, holding the next first-round pick of a team that's 0-7 is a huge asset.

Besides, this is a three-man draft.

As of now, Kansas' Darryn Peterson looks like the top choice. He's a 6'6" primary ball-handler with a lethal pull-up jumper.

Still, don't sleep on Duke's Cameron Boozer. The son of former NBA star Carlos, he's a 6'9" forward with some ball-handling and playmaking chops.

Finally, BYU's AJ Dybansta may have the highest ceiling of the group. His absurd athleticism at 6'9" gives him unlimited potential, even if his game is a bit less polished. What's the commonality between these three elite prospects?

For our purposes, it's the fact that none will ever be Houston Rockets.

Again, Rafael Stone has done an outstanding job. This should not be construed as a hit piece. It's just unfortunate to give up a pick in such a strong draft. If all three of these guys meet pre-draft expectations, it'll be frustrating to look back and know the Rockets had a high likelihood of landing one, and they gave it away.

It'll be one of the only blemishes on Rafael Stone's record.