Houston Rockets use 2nd pick on 19-year-old who skipped college

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Rockets selected Jalen Green with the second overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft.

Green joins a team that is rebuilding after sinking to an NBA-worst 17-55 last season after James Harden forced a trade to Brooklyn to end a streak of eight consecutive playoff trips.

Green is Houston’s first first-round pick since the Rockets selected Sam Dekker with the 18th pick in 2015 and their highest pick since they took Yao Ming first overall in 2002.

The shooting guard comes to the Rockets after going straight from high school in California to the NBA G-League with the Ignite. The 6-foot-6, 186-pound Green averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game for the Ignite last season.

The 19-year-old was a McDonald’s All-American in 2020 after averaging 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and five assists a game as a high school senior at Prolific Prep.

Harden’s trade came after Houston shipped Russell Westbrook to Washington in December for John Wall and future draft picks.

The Rockets dealt one of their last remaining veterans in March when they traded P.J. Tucker to Milwaukee in a swap that netted Houston the No. 24 pick in this year’s draft. Houston had back-to-back picks late in the first round as they also have the 23rd pick, which the team got from Portland in a trade for Robert Covington in 2020

It’s the first draft for general manager Rafael Stone, who was promoted from within the organization after Daryl Morey stepped down to take a job with the Philadelphia 76ers in October.

But with picking No. 2 overall, as well as holding the 23rd and 24th selections in the first round, Stone, holds the compass on directing the team’s rebuild after Harden’s departure.

“This organization hasn’t been in a position to invest in the future like we are now,” Stone told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears before Thursday’s draft. “So I think it’s going to be fun for all of us as we’re kind of going into a new stage of the challenge.”

The Detroit Pistons selected Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick.

Cunningham had been widely expected to be the first name called in New York. The 6-foot-8 point guard was an Associated Press first-team All-American as a freshman with the Cowboys.

He averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Oklahoma State.

Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas will get the chance to coach some young, offensive firepower with the No. 2 selection and backcourt player Kevin Porter Jr., whose own scoring ability has encouraged Clutch City fans over the last season.

The Rockets also picked up Usman Garuba from Spain with its 23rd pick and Arizona State’s Josh Christopher with its 24th pick.