Potential No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero 'Likes' Kevin Porter Jr. Highlight Reel on Twitter; Future Rockets Teammates?
The Houston Rockets are slated to pick in the top 5 in this summer's upcoming draft, and one of those picks could be Duke's Paolo Banchero.
Andrew Weavers/USA Today Sports
Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports
Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports
Banchero was the best player on a Duke team that made its first Final Four in seven years, the longest drought of Coach Mike Krzyzewski's career before he retired at season's end.
He averaged 17.2 points per game to go with 7.8 rebounds in his lone season with the Blue Devils before declaring for the draft. He's projected to be one of the first three players to be selected in this year's draft.
And while he won't get to choose where he wants to go, the Duke forward might prefer Houston out of all his potential destinations.
Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports
Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports
Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports
On Thursday, Banchero 'liked' a tweet of a highlight reel of Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr., celebrating his 22nd birthday earlier this week.
Banchero and Porter Jr.'s relationship started when both were enrolled in Seattle's high schools -- Banchero at O'Dea and Porter Jr. at Rainier Beach. The schools were just 20 minutes apart. In fact, Porter Jr. was supposed to attend O'Dea and would have been teammates with Banchero in his senior year when he was a freshman, but KPJ's mother convinced him to attend Rainier Beach, where his late father was an athlete.
The pair were close through the high school and AAU scenes and have followed their careers up until this point. Now it looks as if the two might finally get that opportunity to share the court together.
