Rockets Trade Down with Spurs in Draft Mock Deal

The Houston Rockets don't like the San Antonio Spurs too much, but sometimes they find a way to help each other out in a potential trade.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes suggested that the two Texas franchises could partner up for a deal that would give the Spurs the No. 3 pick in exchange for No. 8 and a top-10 protected pick in the 2025 NBA Draft that's attached to the Chicago Bulls.

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The reason behind the trade down would be to select Colorado forward Cody Williams.

"Cody Williams is the target here for the Rockets, who can pick up an asset and move down in the first round as long as another team believes a top-three pick is worth the trouble of trading up," Hughes writes. "In a draft where the players typically listed among the top five all come with questions, sliding back in the first round is a defensible play. Williams has plenty of question marks himself, but the rapid rise of his brother Jalen Williams, plus intriguing measurables like a 7'1" wingspan on a perimeter player, make him an exciting option for a Rockets squad that could use a two-way wing."

Williams would be a strong addition for the Rockets, but there's no guarantee that he would even be available at No. 8. The Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers all have cases to take him between Nos. 4 & 8, so if the Rockets really wanted him, they would probably just select him at No. 3, even if it is a little bit of a reach.

The Rockets are getting a lot of interest for the No. 3 pick, but they shouldn't trade the selection just to do it. They need to have intention behind the trade.

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