2024 NBA Draft Rumors: Hornets Interested in Trade Up for Rockets' No. 3 Pick

Ahead of the start of the NBA draft on Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets are reportedly drawing trade interest for their No. 3 pick.

The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported that the Charlotte Hornets "continue to express interest in acquiring" the Rockets' first-round selection. Iko added that the Rockets could be open to negotiating with the Hornets, as "one Western Conference executive identified center Mark Williams as someone Houston could have an interest in."

The Hornets own the No. 6 pick in Wednesday's draft. After finishing the 2023-24 season with a 21-61 record and missing the playoffs for the eighth straight year, Charlotte needs to make some major moves if the franchise hopes to turn its fortune around.

The Rockets have already done some wheeling and dealing, as they agreed to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night that gave them draft assets they could use to acquire a star player.

Iko noted that Tuesday's deal is a further indication that the Rockets "are positioning themselves to be power players soon." Iko added that they "still have interest in acquiring a star during this rebuild, team sources said, but age, timeline, contract flexibility—and most importantly, timing—are all factors that will play a part in their search."

Houston finished the 2023-24 season with a 41-41 record, its first time winning more than 25 games or having a record of .500 or better since the 2019-20 campaign. Despite missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, the team appears to be headed in the right direction.

If the Rockets choose to hold onto the No. 3 pick, which originally belonged to the Nets, they will have the chance to add a talented young prospect. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his final mock draft that Houston would select Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard third overall.

The Rockets will be a team to keep an eye on during Wednesday's first round and the rest of the offseason, as they finally appear ready to emerge from their rebuild and compete for a playoff spot in 2024-25.