On Monday night, the Houston Cougars fell short to the Florida Gators in the NCAA national championship. Despite this unfortunate loss, good news could be on the horizon for Houston basketball fans as the previous two times the Cougars lost in the national championship game the Houston Rockets landed the No. 1 pick.
In 1983 the Rockets drafted Ralph Sampson, and the following year they drafted Hakeem Olajuwon. If this unique trend continues, the Rockets will get Duke's Cooper Flagg. Adding Flagg to this already-loaded Rockets' core is a scary thought for the rest of the league. Let's dive into this insane possibility.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend. If you hate it, share it with an enemy!
How the Rockets can land Flagg
With a record of 52-27, the Rockets are the second seed in the Western Conference. However, they have the right to swap picks with the Phoenix Suns. Losing out on a generational talent would cap off the Suns' disastrous season. Currently, the Suns have a 35-43 record and are 2.5 games outside of the Play-In Tournament. Houston has a 3 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick via the Suns.
While these odds may seem low stranger things have happened, last year the Atlanta Hawks won the lottery with the same odds. Moreover, the Chicago Bulls landed the top pick in 2008 despite having a 1.7 percent chance. Perhaps history repeats itself and the Rockets draw the No. 1 pick in May.
Cooper Flagg would be a perfect fit on the Rockets
Undoubtedly, Flagg would be an ideal fit with the Rockets' young core. Flagg's fit next to Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson is especially exciting. The pairing of Flagg and Thompson would be arguably the most formidable defensive duo in the league. Ime Udoka has built his system around defense and versatility, which are two of Flagg's biggest strengths. This season the Rockets have the fourth-ranked defense with Flagg in the mix they could have the NBA's best defense.
Houston would offer Flagg the best chance to win now among lottery teams. Some could argue for the San Antonio Spurs alongside Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox, however, the Rockets are already a legit playoff squad. With Flagg and other offseason moves the Rockets could emerge as favorites in the West, they would at least challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ultimately, the Rockets are arguably the most exciting landing spot for Flagg. Only time will tell if this historical trend will continue.