Rockets Rumors: Amen Thompson Seen as Front-Runner for No. 4 Pick in 2023 NBA Draft

The Houston Rockets have reportedly focused on Amen Thompson for the No. 4 overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN reported Thompson is considered the "front-runner" to land in that spot with two days remaining before the draft, with Villanova's Cam Whitmore also considered an outside option.

While most consider this a "three-player" draft, with Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller leading the charge, Thompson's upside is considered every bit on par with Henderson and Miller.

Thompson may be the best athlete in this class, a fleet-footed, bouncy lead guard who has no trouble finishing against bigger bodies at the rim. He has all the physical tools to be an instant-impact lead attack guard and has more than enough athleticism to develop into a switchable, quality defender on the other end.

The main issue in Thompson's game at the moment is a largely broken jumper. He's been able to dominate at the prep level and at Overtime Elite by using his otherworldly athleticism, which has led to him being a bit behind from a shooting perspective. While Henderson is also not considered an elite shooter, he's significantly farther along in his development than Thompson.

The Rockets already have two promising young guards on their roster in Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, so Whitmore would make some sense if they were drafting for fit only. However, Houston's rebuild is nowhere close to being in a place where the front office should be prioritizing fit over talent.

Thompson has a significantly higher ceiling than Whitmore and Porter for that matter. It would not be a surprise to see the Rockets explore trading Porter and his team-friendly contract if they choose Thompson on Thursday.