ESPN ranks Rockets for the future

Yes, it’s the last of the NBA doldrums before Houston Rockets season kicks off. They begin training camp on September 23 — six days away — because they are one of the teams playing international games in the preseason. The rest of the NBA starts September 29. Our yearly player preview series is mere days away. But for the next couple of days, it’s still the offseason, and this is the kind of news we have. ESPN just put out a future ranking of every NBA team, and the Rockets are ranked fourth overall in the NBA. The future rankings are designed to mean 30 years out. Here’s what ESPN said about our hometown boys:

Three-year outlook: Despite a fairly underwhelming 2025-26 campaign, Houston is still in strong position for this season and beyond. The Rockets have an enviable mix of high-upside youth and proven veterans — including Fred VanVleet returning from injury — and they’ve been one of the NBA’s best front offices in terms of financial management, routinely saving money with firm negotiations on extensions. Add in an unprotected pick swap with the Nets next summer, and Houston could be back in business quite soon. — Kram

Roster question looming: Amen Thompson just got his new deal, but what will happen with Kevin Durant if this Rockets team fails to advance past the first round again or struggles during the regular season? The soon-to-be 38-year-old has a $46 million player option next season, and Durant last season played his second-most games since 2013-14 and has not averaged fewer than 20 points since entering the NBA in 2007. — Marks

FPR nugget to know: In January 2023, when I was a coach on the Wizards bench, I remember being down 19 points in the first half to a young Rockets team. I felt confident that we would come back and beat them because they were not just young, they were a chaotic group that didn’t know how to play together. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun still had a lot to figure out. We did indeed come back to win. That anecdote illustrates why you should forgive ESPN for ranking the Rockets 26th in the Future Power Rankings after that season, when they ended up…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-ranks-rockets-future-100030764.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-17 10:00:00

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