The Houston Rockets are starting the second round of the NBA Draft with a bang.
Going into the night, the Rockets held the No. 39 and 53 picks, but they made a trade with the New York Knicks for the first pick in the second round. In the deal, the Rockets acquired Nos. 31 and 55 for Nos. 39 and 53. Houston also sent a 2029 second-round pick to New York in the deal. ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.
With the No. 31 overall pick, the Rockets selected Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, who is the all-time leading scorer in Buckeyes history.
“What we’ve been able to do as we constructed this roster is put multiple playmakers out on the floor so we can move him into different areas and different spots, and he doesn’t always have to playmake with the ball in his hands and the guys can create some stuff for him,” Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler said in March.
“He got a couple of catch and shoot threes today that those other guys created for him and that versatility for us, I think makes us really hard to guard.”
Standing six feet tall, Thornton is undersized, but his ability to create should help the Rockets depth at the point guard position, which was sorely needed this season.
TDS community, what do you make of the Rockets’ decision to select Thornton in a trade with the Knicks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
