In the initial wave of mock drafts published after Monday’s 2025 NBA draft lottery, ESPN is among multiple media outlets projecting Kasparas Jakucionis to the Houston Rockets at No. 10 overall in the first round.

“Jakucionis helped himself quite a bit at Illinois, where he took on an enormous role as an 18-year-old debuting at the Division I level and put together a strong season,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo writes. “Despite predictable ups and downs as part of that adjustment, NBA teams remain largely optimistic that his toughness, playmaking feel, size, and versatility at either guard spot will lead to a promising pro career.”

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“There have been concerns about his ability to create separation off the dribble, but Jakucionis’ ball-screen savvy and room to grow as a shooter should enable him to make an impact as part of a team’s rotation, at the very least,” Woo adds.

Jakucionis veraged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 31.8 minutes per game. For a guard, he had an extremely efficient true-shooting clip of 59.8%.

“Jakucionis wouldn’t directly address a need but would give the Rockets significant backcourt depth to build with as they weigh the future of their roster, particularly if they decide to move on from Jalen Green and/or Fred VanVleet… and transition toward Reed Sheppard and potentially the player they select here,” Woo writes.

At 6-foot-6, Jakucionis could also be a useful contrast in size relative to Sheppard and VanVleet, who are on the small side for their position.

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports also mocked Jakučionis to Houston in his post-lottery projections.

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“Jakučionis is a slick shot-creator with a creative passing gene and a fearless scoring ability, carving up defenses with crafty finishes, step-back jumpers, and jaw-dropping passes,” O’Connor writes. “But as a freshman he’d follow up those highlights with turnover brain-farts that derail the hype train. The Rockets have so many different shot creators that he could lean into his strengths as a shooter and develop his point skills in a minimized role. But they don’t have the guy, so there’d certainly be pressure to become the offensive engine.”

With a deep young core in place and minutes already at a premium, trading down or out of the 2025 draft could also be an option for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. But if Houston’s brass decides that Jakucionis or another prospect is good value at that No. 10 slot, they often tout a best-player-available approach — and if they need to send a rookie to their G League affiliate (the Rio Grande Valley Vipers) for developmental work, they won’t hesitate to do so.

More: After unsuccessful lottery, Rockets to pick at No. 10 in 2025 draft

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis draws mock draft projections to Houston