Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard is the primary faculty participant to return off the board within the 2024 NBA Draft, heading to the Rockets with the third total decide.
Sheppard wasn’t even a starter in his lone faculty season at Kentucky, however he averaged 28.9 minutes per sport because the Wildcats’ sixth man and impressed NBA evaluators together with his taking pictures, play-making, and good hands-on protection.
In 33 video games, Sheppard averaged 12.5 factors, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and a pair of.5 steals per contest whereas making 53.6% of his discipline objectives, together with 52.1% of his three-point tries. He additionally shot 83.1% from the free-throw line.
There had been rumors within the days and weeks main as much as the draft that Houston was very open to buying and selling the third total decide, both in a package deal for an affect participant or as a part of a deal that would offer them with further future draft property.
However no commerce materialized with the Rockets on the clock, and Sheppard has been the participant lengthy seen as their seemingly goal in the event that they have been to maintain the decide. In accordance with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports activities (X hyperlink), they intend to hold onto Sheppard, who will add taking pictures to a proficient younger Houston core headed by Alperen Sengun, Jalen Inexperienced, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith.