The Houston Rockets entered last offseason with a star player in their sights, and decided to pull the trigger on a Kevin Durant deal with the Phoenix Suns.
Durant, aging but still spectacular, immediately proved his worth. But the Rockets had to overcome the loss of Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL. In fact, the loss of VanVleet moved almost everyone up a notch on the offensive totem pole, a tough ask for a roster that was — and remains — both young and inexperienced.
While second-year man Reed Sheppard found his footing, at least somewhat, he wasn’t close enough in his development to fill VanVleet’s shoes. Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Alperen Şengün all had to carry enormous loads on both sides of the floor, and the results were predictably inconsistent. Ultimately, they fell short in the playoffs, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in six games (with Durant missing five of them due to knee and ankle injuries).
As the Rockets enter another offseason sooner than expected, they have some decisions to make, especially in regards to fourth-year forward Eason.
2025-26 finish
Record: 52-30, fifth in Western Conference. Lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in six games.
Are changes ahead for Kevin Durant and the Rockets? (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
Highlight of the season
The Rockets rolled off eight straight wins down the stretch of the regular season. While the competition wasn’t tremendous, the team found itself in a rhythm that suggested some level of playoff success.
Players signed for next season
Kevin Durant
Alperen Şengün
Jabari Smith Jr.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Steven Adams
Amen Thompson
Reed Sheppard
Clint Capela
Key free agents
Tari Eason (RFA)
Fred VanVleet (player option)
Projected salary
$159,925541
Projected draft picks
Nos. 39 and 53
Draft focus: These are late picks in a draft that’s grown significantly less deep, with prospects returning to college due to NIL money. At this stage, it’s all about upside. If the players with the most upside, however, are guards, all the better.
Presumably, VanVleet will trigger his player option. If the Rockets also retain Eason, it’ll be at a higher salary point than his current compensation level. That would turn the Rockets into one of the more expensive teams in the league, increasing the likelihood of very little financial flexibility moving forward. In other words, if they’re over the second apron, the tax midlevel exception wouldn’t be available to them. So they should be motivated to stay under.
Needs and goals
The Rockets need to slightly reshuffle the deck if they wish to compete for a title, which they do. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone out of their way to acquire Durant. Does this mean pivoting away from some of the young players? It can’t be ruled out.
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