From All-Stars like Khris Middleton to seasoned vets like Jerami Grant, history proves the 39th pick can yield elite talent and championship-caliber contributors for the Rockets.
While most second round picks are expected to fizzle out of the league, there’s still a good number of them who stick around and contribute. From MVP’s and All-Stars to solid role players, the Rockets can still snag themselves a helpful piece.
There’s a surprising amount of rotational NBA players drafted at 39th overall, with Jaylen Wells just making the All-Rookie First Team in 2025. The Memphis Grizzlies have obviously fallen apart since then, but he did have a better rookie year than Reed Sheppard.
Mouhammed Gueye hasn’t had the same level of success, but he’s carved out a role for himself with the Atlanta Hawks. Playing more than 15 minutes per game for his career shows that he’s a contributing player.
The Sacramento Kings drafted Neemias Queta with that pick in 2021, before he moved on to Boston and became a starter. Another really solid player who was in the running for Most Improved Player.
Going further back, we get Jerami Grant, who’s the best of the bunch so far. While it took a while for his career to fully take off, maybe in year four or five with OKC, he’s lasted over a decade in the league and made over $100 million. It’s impossible to deny his success.
It seems to be a trend for these guys to improve after leaving the team that drafted them, but nonetheless, there’s still really good players available for Houston.
