Stone on Rockets picking third in June draft: 'I do think we’ll be a more talented team next year'

Owner of the NBA's worst record in the 2021-2022 regular season, the Houston Rockets landed the third overall pick in the draft next month, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets.

The Rockets, who compiled a 20-62 record in their first full season after trading James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, will choose behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Orlando Magic, per Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.

KHOU and Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that Houston had a nearly 15% chance to secure the No. 1 pick prior to Tuesday's (May 17) NBA Draft lottery.

It's the second consecutive season the Rockets possessed a Top 3 pick.

Last year, Houston used the second overall pick to nab Northern California native Jalen Green.

Green finished his rookie campaign with around 17 points a contest on 42% shooting through 66 games, per Pro Basketball Reference, the Houston Daily reported.

According to KHOU, the Rockets, the Thunder and the Magic have their pick out of top prospects Chet Holmgren, of Gonzaga; Jabari Smith, of Auburn; and Paolo Banchero, of Duke.

Houston seeks to add to another piece to what's already a talented yet young roster save for veteran guard Eric Gordon.

“I do think we’ll be a more talented team next year than we were this year and I actually think, just in terms of talent, we were a pretty talented team,” general manager Rafael Stone said, per KHOU. "We were just extraordinarily young. Chances are we’ll be even younger next year, but you never know."

The website HoopsHype reported that Stone has left the door open toward swapping the third pick.

Stone purportedly said, "If we make the pick” during his conversations with the media, per HoopsHype.

In what social media users speculated was a shout-out to their neighbors in Downtown Houston, the Houston Astros tweeted the words, "Houston Rockets" to sum up their home run-heavy victory over the Boston Red Sox on the same night as the draft lottery.

The NBA Draft is slated for June 23.