Is the Rockets No. 10 pick this year better to use as a bargaining chip for trading superstars or to keep it for your own use?

The Rockets finally chose 7 young players through the first round draft picks they got through the last four years, and were called "Rockets 7 Sons" by fans. After the draw at this year's lottery conference, the Rockets' first round draft pick this year was finally frozen at the 10th pick.

So, should the Rockets keep the No. 10 pick this year for their own use, and should the Rockets choose the 8th young player or use it as a trade to strengthen it?

Generally speaking, players with the top 5 picks in the draft are likely to be focused on being trained by the parent team, so as to be the core of the team building. From the lottery draw between 10-14, they are more considered puzzle players, but there are also cases of choosing the core of the team building in this draft pick. However, they are all low-probability events, and the players need to go through long-term training and training.

Let's first look at what players have been selected at the 10th overall pick from 2008 to 2024: Brooke Lopez, Brandon Jennings, Paul George, Jim Fredette, Austin Rivers, CJ McCollum, Payton Jr., Winslow, Thorne Mayk, Zach Collins, Michael Bridges, Redish, Jaylen Smith, Zach Williams, Johnny Davis, Carson Wallace, Cody Williams

Among these No. 10 picks, Paul George is the only top player, and there are many golden supporting roles. For example, Lopez, CJ McCollum, and Bridges have all been the leading players of the team or the second-in-command, and their level is high enough. Currently, the players in the eastern and western semi-finals of this season include Bridges (Knicks) and Carson Wallace (Thunder). Of course, the chance of choosing parallel products at this pick is also very high. The lonely gods Fredette, Thorne Maker, Johnny Davis and Zach Williams have basically not played, and the shipment rate has not been high in recent years.

At present, many US media have given the Rockets' 10th picks to choose Casparas Yakujonis (Lithuania, point guard), Colin Murray Boyles (power forward), Konipur, Noah Eisenge, and Con Knuper. The differences given by different US media are very different, depending on the current expectations of this year's draft are not very clear.

Of course, these mock draft candidates will make different choices as the rapid changes in the draft. After all, different teams have different considerations and different demands and judgments about players.

If the Rockets choose to save the players selected by the No. 10 pick for their own use, there will be some problems. There are currently 5 of the Rockets' 7 shots in the rotation lineup, and Whitmore and Shepard are not in the regular rotation. Since Shepard was the No. 3 pick last year, the Rockets will definitely focus on training. In addition to the existence of players such as Dillon and Van Vleet, the Rockets' rotation lineup time is unlikely to be able to train multiple young players at the same time. Players selected by the No. 10 pick may have a huge discount, and they cannot even get the playing time of the rotation lineup, causing the Rockets to waste this draft pick.

Of course, there are also some trades in the offseason. Some players in the Rockets' seven shots were traded, but the No. 10 draw was not traded. The Rockets trained the No. 10 draw, but the No. 10 draw is likely not to be trained as the core of the team building. More as the golden supporting role, the Rockets' patience may not be high. After all, there are Shepard and Whitmore in the team. One person has a high draft pick and an extremely outstanding talent, and they can't get playing time.

The Rockets still have the probability of trading the No. 10 draw. After the Rockets were eliminated by the Warriors 3:4 in the first round, the problem of the serious lack of the star level was fully exposed. It is rumored that the Rockets were interested in Durant and Antetokounmpo, and the Rockets may use the No. 10 draw as assets and bargaining chips in a deal with a superstar.

Of course, the Rockets' No. 10 pick also has the possibility of upward and downward trading, as well as the possibility of this first-round draft pick trading in the years afterwards. Stone needs to evaluate the team's team building plan and team building strategy.

From the current perspective, if the Rockets want to trade a superstar player, the No. 10 draw will likely be used for trading. If the Rockets' trade is just a minor repair, the No. 10 draw may not move. Because there are too many young players in the Rockets, there are still two players in the Rockets' 7 shots. At present, the most scarce type of players in the Rockets' lineup are non-main attackers with certain ball holding ability, certain main offensive ability, certain defense, and outstanding three-pointers to open up space. From the current perspective, the players selected in the No. 10 pick can be just close to this positioning, but the Rockets need to have accurate vision to avoid wasting this first round pick.

From the perspective of operational flexibility, the Rockets' No. 10 pick has many choices, and no matter which choice, it is not an exaggeration. However, no matter which choice, it is necessary to formulate corresponding strategies in advance. Whether to strengthen the game time of many young players in the Rockets is divided and how to cultivate them. From the Rockets' current age group, the significance of this No. 10 pick is greater than the meaning of the trading. The timeline of the age group of the players selected in the No. 10 pick is consistent with the team. The stars or superstars who trade are older than those of the Rockets' current young players. It depends on whether the Rockets' management can endure loneliness. Of course, the positioning of the No. 10 pick is also close to the type of players that the Rockets currently lacks. The key is how Stone evaluates and makes decisions.