Could Rockets Trade Up to No. 1 Overall Pick?

The Houston Rockets have the No. 3 overall pick going into the 2024 NBA Draft, but there's a possibility they may end up with the top selection.

"League sources say that the Atlanta Hawks have had discussions with other teams about moving down from the first pick. But the Hawks reportedly haven’t even worked out all of their candidates for the no. 1 pick yet either, so they’re just exploring their options," The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor writes. "If the Hawks trade down, UConn center Donovan Clingan could be their target after he impressed the team in a private workout last week."

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Clingan's projected ceiling could be No. 3 to the Rockets, so that's probably the first spot the Hawks would look to move down from if they wanted to make a trade. They would have to make a gamble and hope the Washington Wizards don't take their guy at No. 2, but trading down to No. 3 would be a safe pick.

What would it cost the Rockets to move up to the No. 1 spot? It's possible that it would only cost a future first-round pick, which Houston has in excess due to its trade back in 2021 with the Brooklyn Nets.

But the Rockets would have to ask themselves, is it worth it to trade up to No. 1?

If the Rockets moved up to the top spot, it's likely that French big man Alex Sarr would be their target. However, he could create an issue with Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun already in the starting frontcourt, so it's unlikely for the Rockets to want to bring in Sarr considering how they feel about their starters.

The Nets picks they own in the future (2025 pick swap, 2026 and 2027 pick swap), are likely more valuable than a small move up considering Brooklyn could have the No. 1 pick in any of those years in draft classes that are more talented than this one.

The NBA Draft is set for June 25-26.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on X.