[Blinebury] Expect the unexpected when it comes to Rockets' draft plans

Lock as needed.

[rquoter]HOUSTON -- The Rockets are willing to deal. The Rockets are always willing to deal. General manager Daryl Morey lives to wheel and deal and dream.

That's why there are any number of directions the Rockets could be headed by the time they get around to draft night and the Nos. 14 and 23 picks in the first round of a draft that is generally regarded as deep, but lacking a superstar.

"Most people think there are really solid players into the 30-40 range and you wouldn't mind getting two players like that," Morey said. "We're always looking to move up," Morey said. "But this is a year when we could move down. Or we could move into the future (drafts) by trading our picks this year. We're open to a lot of different things, but we're also happy with the players we have."

The Rockets, having made a coaching switch from Rick Adelman to Kevin McHale, are coming off a 43-39 season in which they closed fast but came up short of the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, finishing three games behind Memphis. They have more players under contract than any other team in the league with only two significant free agents in Yao Ming and Chuck Hayes.

"We feel like we have a solid foundation of young talent and like where we're going," Morey said. "That doesn't mean we're ready to just sit and not look to make our team better."

In the five years that Morey has been on the job in Houston, the Rockets have used their own pick in the first round just twice, taking Aaron Brooks at No. 26 in 2007 and Patrick Patterson at No. 14 in 2010.

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The point is the Rockets are often hard to nail down going into the draft because they are usually aggressive in chasing opportunities right to the end and Morey is open to considering any and all opportunities. That is especially true this season with the team having all but declared that nobody on the roster is untouchable.

Power forward Luis Scola and shooting guard Kevin Martin are the Rockets' most accomplished healthy bodies and their names have frequently come up in trade rumors.

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Morey says there is no different approach to this year's draft with a new coach in McHale.

"I think Kevin is devoting a lot of his time and thinking to free agents and trades more than the draft," Morey said. "But as far as trying to make us better team, we're all ready to do whatever we think it takes.

"We like our team. If this is the team that we take into training camp, we're happy with it and believe we're making progress. But if we see a chance to speed up that progress, we're going to take it."[/rquoter]

 

Franny updated the article!?



Anyhow, I dont think any of those players will be available when we pick.