Arkansas sophomore Billy Richmond III dominated the combine with elite speed. Explore how his high-flying athleticism and evolving jumper could fit the Rockets’ youthful core at pick 53.
With the 2026 Draft Combine taking place last week, ESPN has given fans around the league a new mock draft to digest. Due to the Houston Rockets not having any first round picks, it can take a lot of scrolling to get to what you’re looking for.
Let me save you the time and break down their expert predictions and suggestions for Rafael Stone and the Rockets. Billy Richmond III is now projected to go near the end of the draft with Houston’s 53rd overall pick. If you’re unfamiliar, he’s a 6’6” sophomore for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Much like Luigi Suigo, who I previously mentioned on Roundtable, Richmond also had an impressive performance at the draft combine. He had the quickest time in the lane agility test, and tied for first with Darius Acuff Jr. for the three quarter court sprints, per NBA Stats.
In other words, he’s a super-athlete. That definitely fits the mold of much of the young core, including Amen, Jabari, and Tari. Even Jalen Green showed Houston his superhuman abilities before getting traded away.
While I don’t think wings are really what the Rockets need, I could definitely see Billy Richmond III’s athleticism being enticing to Rafael Stone. He did frequently handle the ball in transition while playing at Arkansas, but I wouldn’t call him a lead guard.
Somewhat similar to Amen Thompson in those aspects, but he did prove to be a much more confident shooter. How much does confidence matter when it only equates to 25.9-percent shooting though? I’m not sure.
That was more than double what he shot in the season prior, only nailing 12.5-percent as a freshman, per ESPN. That, along with him finishing over 75-percent from the free throw line is a somewhat promising sign that he can continue to improve his shooting. The lefty stroke doesn’t look bad, if you ask me.
Not a terrible pick at all, but I personally think point guard and center play are much more important pieces to take care of, with shooting always being a priority regardless of position.
Depth is also super important though, as the Spurs and Thunder are making evident by each playing upwards of 10 players a game in the Conference Finals. Teams need to make the most of the rosters.
Houston needs to knock this one out of the park, regardless of what role(s) they choose to fill with their second round draft picks this season. With just over a month until the June 24th draft, stay tuned to see how things shake up before then.
