Rockets' Get Revamped Backcourt in 2021 NBA Re-Draft

The 2021 NBA Draft could go down as one of the best in recent years. With the class already producing four All-Stars (with more expected to come), many of the team's selections ended up panning out, especially for the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets were one of the major winners of the 2021 draft. At No. 2 overall, they originally selected Jalen Green. Despite him being traded this offseason, along with his inconsistencies, he was a catalyst in Houston reaching 52 wins last season. Plus, he was the main piece in the Rockets' acquisition of Kevin Durant this summer.

At No. 16 came Houston's big prize. Aside from Durant, Alperen Sengun is the Rockets' franchise star. The Turkish center already has an All-Star appearance under his belt, and has blown people away with his ability to score, rebound and facilitate at high levels. This season, he's averaging an impressive 22.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

However, what if the draft actually went in the order of who is the best available today? It's not realistic, of course, but Bleacher Report's Dan Favale recently released a 2021 NBA Re-Draft. Houston's picks look drastically different.

While Sengun and Green would end up with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards, the Rockets would take Cade Cunningham at No. 2 overall. The Detroit Pistons star averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists last season, reviving a dying franchise and becoming one of the best point guards in the league.

"Cunningham's development as a scorer, transition-pusher and defender entrenches him as one of the NBA's most promising cornerstones," Favale wrote. "Dynamic size like his verges on generational."

At No. 16, Houston would stick with a backcourt prospect, selecting current Brooklyn Nets star Cam Thomas. At 23 years old, he is one of the best isolation scorers in the league, but like Green, there have been concerns with his efficiency, consistency and playmaking over the years. This season, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard is putting up 21.4 points per game.

"Cam Thomas falls squarely into the Jalen Green bucket: a high-volume scorer whose value fluctuates wildly from person to person," Favale wrote.

"The square-one shot-creation and -making is legitimate. His efficiency isn't show-stopping, but it's more than adequate relative to his usage. The dearth of rim pressure isn't ideal, but he draws shooting fouls anyway."

The Rockets' path would look a lot different than it does now. Would they still pull the trigger on the Durant trade? Would Cunningham get this team out of the basement like he's done in Detroit? How would Thomas's role fit in with Ime Udoka's defensive-oriented system?