Flagg is shooting very well this year (37% and 82% FT), and even better as the season goes on. He’s basically the ideal fit as a partner to Amen in a core going forward. Two hyper competitive, hyper talented, hyper athletic big wings who can play on ball or off ball, be primary initiators, and guard the other teams best player. Bailey/Harper etc are good prospects but are developmental guys with flaws and bust risk like normal high lottery picks. Don’t think the FO is interested in more developmental minutes for players who’ll be bad for a year or two. Would ~#9 + Sengun + 27 PHX + 29 PHX + other stuff get you Flagg? Idk, but I know the other team is thinking about it. You could even do best of PHX/BKN/HOU in 27 and best of PHX/DAL/HOU in 29. 22 year old all star + 3 guaranteed lotto picks + other stuff would be the 4th most value ever traded IMO, other than the AD trade, the Luka trade, and the PG+Kawhi trade. Those were acquiring top 5ish players in their prime. Flagg is great but not that.
Yes, Flagg already qualifies as a "shooter" IMO. He'd be an amazing get. Don't sleep too much on Bailey though. Also shooting 37% from three (5.5 attempts per game). Also big, long, athletic, and a good defender (2.3 stocks and 7.2 rebounds per game to Flagg's 2.7 and 7.7). Bailey isn't quite as much of a monster on the defensive end and doesn't have Flagg's playmaking capability, but I think he's a great prospect, possibly more of a "sure thing" than any of the guys we've picked in the top 4 so far if you think back to them as draft prospects.
Unless the ping pong balls bounce the Rockets way again, I think they should target a backup C/PF with this presumed late lottery pick. Steven Adams is a free agent, is already 31 years old, and can't play B2Bs. We need some size in the front court. The Rockets have really struggled without Jabari this season.
Khaman Maluach looks like he could be a nice pickup if we land later on in the lottery. 7'2" athletic mobile center who has some potential to develop into an outside shooter. He's basically Alex Sarr over again, which shows you how bad the previous draft class was, lol.
I don't watch Duke much as they are boring and when I do, I watch Flagg. That said, my impression has been that Maluach has been playing around the rim on offense and actually able to get rebounds on the defensive glass. I see Maluach as less a chance to bust, and I've not seen the shot. Sarr was no floor with shiny upside. If Maluach has shooting upside, he's a much better prospect than Sarr.
I can buy it--which is funny if so because Maluach will almost certainly be picked outside the top 5. People don't understand just how awful last year's draft class was. This one looks pretty sick, though.
That's the point kiddo, that's the extent of the young players he has any interest in developing but it's not the extent of the young players on the team, as it stands you have Cam and Reed that Ime has no interest in developing, is adding more young guys Ime won't care to develop a smart thing? The only way it works is if you dump players to force Ime to do it and Stone isn't that guy.
This one looks top heavy to me - still miles better than last year's draft but not necessarily a great overall draft if you aren't lucky enough to snag a "generational talent"....but this could be a good draft for us in grabbing role players from the Suns pick on the cheap. That being said, it does put more pressure on the "consolidation trade" we have all been waiting for. While we have a number of good players, I don't necessarily think we have our starting lineup of the future on this roster so taking an active step to pull together a cohesive roster is long overdue.
I like the Top 5 of this draft. Usually guys fill some spots after that by now. This draft looks like it goes from great to meh very fast. Outside the Top 5 Tre Johnson...all scoring no defense no playmaking for others. Maluach...he's a tall big man that does a lot of big man stuff. I typically like guys that hit 2 of Playmaking, Shooting, and defense. Rasheer Fleming hits that mark. Not sure about others outside the Top 5. Granted, I don't see international players so maybe some guys there. This.
I put that suggestion in another thread. I didn't include Sengun, but was all our future draft capital up to 6 FRP's for Flagg. As young and talented as our core already is, why would we need draft picks. Flagg is Wemby, Amen special. Amen, Jalen, Flagg, Jabari, Sengun is a dynasty.
I don't think any team takes just draft picks for Flagg. He's just too good--you pray to draft 1 player like him during an entire rebuild, which including trading away veterans should net you at least 6 FRPs over several years. Including Sengun is definitely a thought, but I have my doubts the Rockets would go that far to trade for Flagg. It also leaves a gaping hole at center which would need to be filled with very few trade assets left in the cupboard.
hey, I’m with you that giving up all our trade capital to go all in on Amen and Flagg is worth it. Just think it’s a pipe dream. No team gives up a virtual sure thing franchise prospect. We’d have to include Amen, which would defeat the purpose. Of course I’m no insider, but I’d be in the realm of Doncic trade shocked if someone traded out of the #1 pick this yr.
Skimming some of the mock drafts and boards, seems to me the 12th pick is pretty good. I'm seeing Derik Queen, Tre Johnson (although this ESPN mock seems outdated since he's mocked much higher everywhere else), Noa Essengue, all look to be young players with good potential. The Rockets should be able to get at least someone who can be a solid rotation player by year 2 with upside for more.
If Zion is available then he's my target. Zion's strengths are tailored to Ime's system and Zion is much better cutter, rebounder, rim protector + passer than Dillon. A core of Amen-Zion-Jalen-Alp would make the Rockets untouchable in transition + vertical spacing. Zion also automatically improves Rockets half court offense + zone issues. Zion has had availability issues but how likely is a rook going to impact rotation under Ime, doesn't matter how high hes picked. Zion would be bases loaded home run trade if he pans out, if he doesn't - Rockets still have most of their core.
On Tre Johnson, there is a lot of opposition to him in the draft world. I'd guess he's sliding on most mocks because of defense, inertia, and media talking to teams. I see names jumping ahead of them, but it is hard to take most of them seriously because they can't shoot. So the ESPN mock may be updated.
Really depends on the team who gets #1. UTA, PHI, BKN, TOR? Very very unlikely to do it. Because they are organizations with big enough ambitions / robust enough situations / strong enough market appeal to say no. WAS / CHA / NOLA? These are places that need to build up something long term and sustainable to even be considered serious NBA organizations. One player doesn't do that for them, they need a whole ecosystem of premium assets and years of competence. Realistically they know Flagg's people + Nike would be waiting for the opportunity to get out of town from day 1. Also - Flagg is a great prospect but he's not Wemby or Anthony Davis. As noted before, he's shot the ball well this season; but tbf if he'd missed ~5 more 3's this year he'd be shooting 32% 3pt% and he'd be more of a Cade/Towns/Fultz level #1 pick as opposed to Zion tier. My point being Flagg is a franchise prospect... not a sure thing franchise player. And that 22yo All-Star + 3 sure lotto picks + prospects is a franchise player trade package.
Maluach would be great pickup if Rockets get top 8 pick. Or Rockets could trade down, pick up 2026 FRP + draft 7'1 point center Danny Wolf.
Interesting. Honestly I kind of like this type of mold with the former top-5 pick that is disappointing people.
