That move would have come with no guarantees, and would be unprecedented and terribly risky for the Hornets. Since the newest collective bargaining agreement went into effect, no team purposely has allowed a player to become a free agent in order to sign him to a long-term contract. Little about whom the Rockets would take in the draft could be gleaned from the workouts, and in this case, that is a good thing. It looks like a good year. This year, everyone has shot the ball well and looked good so far.
Teams are very careful about showing their hands.
The Rockets have brought in a lot of centers. That does not necessarily mean they are looking to take a center, but have not wasted their time workout out point guards. Somehow, it seems apparent that they are not too sure about their ability to bring back Hakeem Olajuwon or hand the reins to Kelvin Cato . The quality of the performances so far also bodes well for the Rockets if they are to use the No. 18 pick acquired on Saturday or to use the multiple picks to move up. It will be the best thing for him.