NBA mock draft shows Rockets could build a historic defense with two athletic wings

Rockets balance contention and youth

After acquiring Kevin Durant in summer 2025, Houston signaled it was ready to pursue an NBA championship. The team is 9-3, third in the Western Conference, and has the league’s fourth-best net rating after ending Golden State’s eight-game winning streak.

Offensive concerns remain, including Durant’s questionable handle and Steven Adams’s difficulty staying on the floor. Still, five of the Rockets’ eight leaders in minutes played are in their age-25 season or younger, giving the team a notable mix of present talent and youth.

Houston owns Brooklyn’s 2027 first-round pick through an earlier trade, as well as Phoenix’s unprotected pick. The mock draft places Brooklyn’s selection at No. 4 and Phoenix’s at No. 9, though the NBA Draft Lottery has not taken place.

Branch offers defensive potential

SB Nation draft analyst Ricky O’Donnell projects the Rockets taking BYU wing Bruce Branch with the Nets pick. He describes Branch as a 6-foot-7 player with a 7-foot-3 wingspan who moves well on the perimeter, disrupts plays, and blocks shots.

The article compares Branch’s potential defensive role to Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason. Houston already ranks eighth in defensive rating with those players; adding Branch could give the team another option for its defensive lineups. O’Donnell notes that Branch’s offense needs development, a concern that resembles the offensive questions around those three Rockets players.

Toure could add athleticism

With the Suns pick, O’Donnell projects Arkansas freshman Abdou Toure at No. 9. The 6-foot-5 wing is described as explosive on both ends, able to disrupt plays and attack the rim, with the physical tools to become a plus defender.