NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets, Grizzlies to Shop No. 3, No. 9 Picks in 2024 NBA Draft

The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly expected to be active shopping their lottery picks ahead of the 2024 NBA draft.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported the Rockets and Grizzlies are both motivated to win next season and could parlay their picks into veteran help. Houston moved up in the lottery to earn the No. 3 selection, while Memphis sits at No. 9.

Jonathan Wasserman of B/R currently has the Rockets selecting Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, while G League Ignite guard Ron Holland goes to Memphis. This is not considered a particularly strong draft class, so both teams might have more trouble finding an agreeable trade than they would have in previous years.

The Rockets went 41-41 this season, a 19-win jump from their performance in 2022-23. They have a promising mix of rising young players and win-now veterans, and the front office would undoubtedly love to snap a four-year playoff drought next season. It's unlikely any player taken at No. 3 in this class would offer the type of immediate help the Rockets are looking for.

The Grizzlies struggled through an injury-plagued 27-55 season as Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane all missed much of the year. All three players are expected back healthy in the fall, and Memphis would undoubtedly like to get back on the upward trajectory of the previous two seasons. The Grizzlies won a combined 107 games in 2021-22 and 2022-23, the best two-year stretch in franchise history.

As Lowe notes, it's unlikely either team will give away the picks at 75 cents on the dollar just because it's a shaky draft class. While there is no surefire superstar like Victor Wembanyama was a year ago, there's likely a couple lottery picks that will become All-Stars down the line in the right situation.

Still, for teams looking to jump their own restart off with a high draft pick, they might want to call Houston and Memphis first.