The Rockets made big moves in the first round of the draft, securing three immediate contributors with Smith carrying superstar upside.
Houston is leaning heavily on offensive firepower and that continued with this draft class.
Look for Smith to get immediate playing time, while Eason and Washington push for minutes off the bench.
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Check out the Houston Rockets BA 2022-23 Roster
No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Birth Date | Exp | College |
Boban Marjanović | C | 7-3 | 290 | August 15, 1988 | 7 | ||
Bruno Fernando | C | 6-9 | 240 | August 15, 1998 | 3 | Maryland | |
Jae'Sean Tate | SF | 6-4 | 230 | October 28, 1995 | 2 | Ohio State | |
TyTy Washington Jr. | G | 6-3 | 197 | November 15, 2001 | R | Kentucky | |
Jabari Smith Jr. | F | 6-10 | 220 | May 13, 2003 | R | Auburn | |
Tari Eason | F | 6-8 | 216 | May 10, 2001 | R | Cincinnati, LSU | |
Trevor Hudgins (TW) | G | 6-0 | 180 | March 23, 1999 | R | Northwest Missouri State University | |
Daishen Nix | PG | 6-5 | 224 | February 13, 2002 | 1 | ||
Garrison Mathews | SG | 6-5 | 215 | October 24, 1996 | 3 | Lipscomb | |
Usman Garuba | PF | 6-8 | 220 | March 9, 2002 | 1 | ||
Kevin Porter Jr. | SG | 6-4 | 203 | May 4, 2000 | 3 | USC | |
Maurice Harkless | SF | 6-7 | 220 | May 11, 1993 | 10 | St. John's | |
Alperen Şengün | C | 6-9 | 235 | July 25, 2002 | 1 | ||
Josh Christopher | SG | 6-5 | 215 | December 8, 2001 | 1 | Arizona State | |
Jalen Green | SG | 6-4 | 178 | February 9, 2002 | 1 | ||
Théo Maledon | PG | 6-4 | 175 | June 12, 2001 | 2 | ||
Kenyon Martin Jr. | SF | 6-6 | 215 | January 6, 2001 | 2 | ||
Derrick Favors | C | 6-9 | 265 | July 15, 1991 | 12 | Georgia Tech | |
Eric Gordon | SG | 6-3 | 215 | December 25, 1988 | 14 | Indiana |
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Wood was frustrated with his role in Houston, and the Rockets also wanted to open up minutes for young big man Alperen Sengun. This was an interesting decision since Wood is now an expiring contract and the Rockets didn’t get a draft asset in return. If Sengun can develop, Houston will feel better about this trade. Wall opted into his deal and agreed to a buyout before joining the Clippers. Wall hasn’t played a ton of games for Houston, so the Rockets don’t mind this move if it means more minutes for backcourt players.
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The Rockets don’t expect to play in the postseason, so the goal of this year will be to see how players fit into roles and whether they can exist as a long-term group. Player improvement is the key metric here, even if it doesn’t translate to wins. Jalen Green, Smith and Sengun should be locked in as starters. The two remaining perimeter spots likely go to Kevin Porter Jr. and Eric Gordon, although the latter might come off the bench. Jae’Sean Tate will also be in the mix for a starting spot.
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