NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Rockets take a risk at No. 1; Wolves find missing piece

In the latest edition of our NBA Mock Draft 3.0, the Houston Rockets take a risk at No. 1 and the Minnesota Timberwolves find their missing link. 

(Editor’s Note: Before we move ahead, we want to offer our condolences to the family of Terrence Clarke who passed away tragically in a car accident a few days ago. Clarke was destined for the NBA and was about to live out what was likely a lifelong dream.)

The 2021 NBA Draft is still a couple of months away but with the regular season winding down, draft news is about to pick up over the course of the next couple of weeks. Players will move up and down draft boards and we’ll begin to hopefully get a closer look at how the draft could take shape.

Two teams that make headlines in the third edition of our mock draft are the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, who appear to find their footing in their respective rebuilds.

1. Houston Rockets – Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga

With the first overall pick, the Rockets make a splash pick by selecting a primary playmaker that would help fill the role that was left after the departure of James Harden. Houston will try to recreate what they had in Harden with Jalen Suggs.

It’s a risky pick, but the hope is that Suggs could be a key building block for the future of this team. Plus, learning next to John Wall for a couple of seasons (if the Rockets can’t trade him) should help his development too.