ON THE CLOCK
Houston Dynamo in the MLS SuperDraft under GM Matt Jordan
Jan 9, 2020, 7:51 am
Wilf Thorne / Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo hold the eighth overall pick in Thursday's 2020 MLS SuperDraft (11:30 a.m. CT, ESPN+).
Once a source of solid contribuitors to the club, only five of the 18 SuperDraft selections under Matt Jordan's five-season tenure have seen MLS minutes for the Houston Dynamo.
The Dynamo have actually gotten more by trading away draft picks. For example, the acquisition of Goalkeeper Joe Willis in 2016 was one that provided the Dynamo a solid contributor and starter until he was traded to Nashville this offseason.
The following is every draft choice of Jordan's tenure as the club's Senior Vice President/General Manager:
[Players in bold remain with the club]
2015
Round 1, #8 overall - Midfielder - Zach Steinberger (3 games played, 29 MLS mins)
Round 2, #30 overall - Defender - Oumar Ballo (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #36 overall - Forward - Rob Lovejoy (19 GP, 351 MLS mins)
Round 3, #49 overall - Defender - Taylor Hunter (1 GP, 90 MLS mins)
2016
Round 2, #26 overall - Defender - Ivan Magalhães (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #47 overall - Defender - T. J. Casner (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 1, #6 overall - Traded to Philadelphia Union along with general allocation money, and targeted allocation money in exchange for midfielder Cristian Maidana and forward Andrew Wenger (December 7, 2015)
Round 4, #67 overall - Traded to D.C. United along with midfielder Andrew Driver in exchange for goalkeeper Joe Willis and defender Samuel Inkoom (December 8, 2014)
2017
Round 1, #10 overall - Midfielder - Joe Holland (5 GP, 22 MLS mins)
Round 2, #30 overall - Goalkeeper - Jake McGuire (0 GP, 0 MLS mins) [Acquired by trading Corey Ashe to Orlando]
Round 2, #36 overall - Defender - Danilo Radjen (0 GP, 0 MLS mins) [Acquired by trading Brad Davis to Kansas City]
Round 4, #70 overall - Defender - Robby Sagel (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 1, #4 overall - Traded to Portland Timbers for the the #10 pick, an international roster spot and $100,000 in general allocation money.
Round 3, #48 - Traded to Real Salt Lake for defender Abdoulie Mansally
2018
Round 1, #20 overall - Goalkeeper -Michael Nelson (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #43 overall - Forward - Mac Steeves (3 GP, 26 MLS mins)
Round 3, #59 overall - Midfielder - Pablo Aguilar (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #66 overall - Defender - Sheldon Sullivan (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 4, #89 overall - Defender - Manny Padilla (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Signed to affiliate RGVFC outside of the draft: Goalkeeper Nico Corti, Midfielder Bryce Marion
2019
Round 1, #8 overall - Defender - Sam Junqua (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #33 overall - Defender - Andrew Samuels (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #56 overall - Midfielder - Brad Dunwell (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 2, #32 overall - Traded to Chicago Fire in exchange for midfielder Arturo Alvarez (December 10, 2017)
Round 4, #80 overall - Traded to Real Salt Lake in exchange for the MLS rights to midfielder Luis Gil for the 2018 season (April 23, 2018)
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Astros let late lead slip as Mariners stun Houston with wild rally
Apr 9, 2025, 8:07 pm
Houston Rockets (52-27) at Los Angeles Clippers (46-32)
Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT | Inglewood, CA
Line: Clippers -6.5 | O/U: 219
The Houston Rockets head west to face the Los Angeles Clippers in a high-stakes Western Conference matchup between two teams hitting their stride at the right time.
What’s at stake:
With both teams locked into the top half of the playoff picture, Wednesday’s showdown could carry big implications for seeding. The Rockets have won eight of their last 10, surging into second place in the West. The Clippers, winners of five straight, are looking to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
Team comparisons:
Houston enters with a 31-18 mark against the Western Conference and has leaned on defense and rebounding, ranking fifth in the league in defensive boards per game (34.0), thanks largely to Alperen Sengun.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are 26-23 within the conference and have outscored opponents by 4.5 points per game on the season. They're averaging 112.6 points this season. And shooting a strong 50.9% from the field over their last 10 games.
Key players to watch:
- Rockets: Jalen Green continues to lead the scoring charge, averaging 23.4 points over his last 10 games. Sengun, who is day-to-day with a back issue, remains central to Houston’s identity with 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
- Clippers: Ivica Zubac has been a steady force inside with 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, while Kawhi Leonard (20.4 points over the last 10) remains a game-time decision due to rest.
By the numbers:
- Both teams are red-hot offensively, with the Rockets averaging 119.1 points and the Clippers 119.0 over their past 10 contests.
- The rebounding battle could be key—Houston holds a slight edge (49.5 to 44.8 per game, over the past 10 contests).
- Both defenses are holding opponents under 108 points per game during that span.
Injury watch:
Houston may be without Jabari Smith Jr. (groin), Fred VanVleet (ankle), and Sengun (back), while the Clippers could be without Kawhi Leonard, Amir Coffey, and Patty Mills.
Bottom line:
This could be a playoff preview, and with both teams in form, the game may come down to execution late. If the Rockets can control the boards and match LA’s shot-making, they’ll have a shot to leave Inglewood with a big win.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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