As the Rockets await an NBA draft lottery this year that is critical to the franchise’s rebuild, we take a look back at previous lotteries they were involved in. The Rockets are “credited” with ushering in the lottery system after they were accused of tanking in 1983-84 to land Hakeem Olajuwon with the first overall pick (they also had to win a coin flip with Portland).
Year: 2001
Rockets’ final record: 45-37
Odds to win: 0.50 percent
First player taken: Kwame Brown (C, Glynn Academy, Ga.) by Washington
Rockets’ final draft slot: 13th
Rockets’ draftee: Richard Jefferson, F, Arizona
How things worked out: Could’ve been better, probably. Jefferson was packaged with fellow first-round picks Jason Collins (taken 18th) and Brandon Armstrong (23rd) to the Nets in a trade for Eddie Griffin, whom New Jersey had taken at No. 7.
In the end, Jefferson had the best NBA career of any of those players, logging 17 seasons in the league and helping the Nets make the Finals his first two years. He then was a veteran reserve on Cleveland’s 2016 championship team.
Collins also enjoyed a long NBA career and was later better known as the first player in the four major U.S. men’s sports leagues to come out as openly gay. Armstrong, meanwhile, was a Nets reserve for three seasons.
As for Griffin, he played two seasons with the Rockets before being waived midway through the 2003-04 season, amid legal and substance abuse issues. He then finished his career with three seasons in Minnesota.
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