Rockets offseason outlook: Will Houston make any moves this summer?

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.

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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.

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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,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/rockets-offseason-outlook-will-houston-make-any-moves-this-summer-152230601.html

Author : Morten Stig Jensen

Publish date : 2026-05-05 15:22:00

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