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After taking Jalen Green with their top selection, the Houston Rockets traded for Alperen Sengun at pick No. 16. The Rockets received Sengun in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday night, during the 2021 NBA Draft. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Rockets gave up two future first-round picks in the deal.
Rockets giving up the future first round picks they received from the Wizards and the Pistons. Both are heavily protected. https://t.co/gdcrjGPHnJ
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 30, 2021
By acquiring Sengun, the Rockets added size to their frontcourt who can help Christian Wood clean the boards and protect the rim. The 6-foot-10 big man won the MVP award of the Turkish league last season with Besiktas, after averaging 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 34 games.
Turkey’s Alperen Sengun will bring his flair to Houston after being picked number 16 by the Rockets pic.twitter.com/lSDuxb4PVP
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) July 30, 2021
He will be a bit of a project during the 2022 season and must improve his 3-point shooting. Last season, Sengun shot 19 percent from behind the arc, which is not the ideal big man to play within Stephen Silas’ system. However, given Houston’s player development system, it will not take long for Sengun to improve on his weakness.
At the time of this writing, the Rockets will make two more first-round selections at picks No. 23 and 24.