The Houston Rockets had some luck in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. The Rockets, who got their pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade in 2021, moved from the ninth overall pick to the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Now, Houston GM Rafael Stone is expected to shop the third pick in trade talks to bring in a veteran player. The Rockets signed several veteran free agents in the 2023 offseason. Those players helped Houston improve from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 wins in 2023-24.
In addition to adding the vets, the Rockets still have a good young core. That has Houston looking at options for more win-now help, as opposed to adding another young player to the core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith II, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.
The Atlanta Hawks won the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, moving from the tenth overall pick up to the first overall pick. That gives the Hawks and GM Landry Fields a lot of options moving forward.
One of those options is pursuing trades for Trae Young. Atlanta had been involved in trade talks involving Dejounte Murray leading up to the trade deadline but may now turn to trading Young instead.
Young is owed nearly $138 million over the next three seasons. The Hawks could net a hefty return in a trade for Young, while significantly clearing up their cap sheet moving forward. They could then build around the first overall pick, Murray and other young talent on the roster.
