The Houston Rockets Work Out Two More Potential Draft Picks

After their most successful season since 2020, the Houston Rockets have begun the process of looking forward to next season. The Rockets have been at the center of most of the offseason talk, as they are in a great position to improve their roster.

The Rockets have multiple young players still on rookie deals, veteran players with large expiring contracts, and multiple future draft picks. The Rockets also have the No. 10 pick in this year's draft, which was part of their trade with the Phoenix Suns earlier in the season.

The Rockets also hold the 59th pick they acquired from the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets have been working on multiple players over the last few weeks, including potential first-round picks and also players they could draft with the 59th overall pick.

Over the last three weeks, the Rockets have worked out Andrew Carr, a big man out of the University of Kentucky. They also recently worked out Izan Almansa, a 6'10 forward out of the NBL, and Grant Nelson, a five-year senior out of Alabama.

Almansa last played this season for the Perth Wildcats of the NBL. He is a mobile, athletic big who has a great touch around the basket and can switch onto smaller guards at times without becoming a liability. Even though Almansa is only 20 years old, he already has a long list of accomplishments during his international play.

Almansa, who is originally from Murcia, Spain, was named MVP of the 2023 U19 World Cup, the 2022 U18 European Championship, and the 2022 U17 World Cup while representing the Spanish National Team. Almansa averaged 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and shot 51 percent from the field in his only season in the NBL. Almansa will need to improve his outside shooting, as he shot only 33 percent from deep in 33 games.

The Rockets will be working out Grant Nelson today in Houston. Nelson is a 6'10 mobile big man who was a five-year senior and played for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season. Nelson set an NBA Draft Combine shuttle record, which showed his athleticism.

Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game last season for the Tide after helping Alabama reach its first-ever Final Four in 2024. Nelson is one of the most versatile big men in the draft, who has a high basketball IQ. Nelson has a high motor, is athletic for his size, and has a high skill level.

Almansa, at one point, was projected to go in the top 20 in the 2024 draft before he decided to explore opportunities in Europe and Australia. One bit of fun trivia: Almansa played for YNG Dreamerz of the OTE league in the championship game against Amen and Ausar Thompson of the City Reapers. Ausar and Amen came out on top in that game, and both are now starring in the NBA.

Nelson is projected to go anywhere from the late first round to the second round in this year's draft. Both have a good chance of possibly making a roster and starting their career in the G League. Both players have NBA skills, and it will be interesting to see how everything plays out in the next month for the Rockets.