The Houston Rockets have spent the last several seasons building back from the wreckage that followed the 2021 James Harden trade, and that reset sent them into repeated trips near the top of the draft. Since then, they’ve taken Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard in the top five across four different drafts, hoping the losses would eventually turn into a core strong enough to push the franchise forward.
That group has produced mixed results so far. Alperen Sengun is the only All-Star among them, and he wasn’t even a lottery pick.
Green is now part of the Rockets’ blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. Sheppard is heading into his third season with questions still hanging over him.
Smith has gotten better every year, though the rise has been slower than many expected. Of the bunch, Thompson is the one who still looks like the clearest bet to become a true star.
Thompson entered the league with a reputation built on athleticism, and at 6’7 while playing point guard, he looked like the kind of oversized playmaker every team wants. By the end of his rookie season, he had already developed into one of the NBA’s top defensive players. Houston had Fred VanVleet in place, so Thompson adapted his game to what the Rockets needed.
That adjustment became even more important once Smith’s injury opened up minutes. The Rockets used Thompson at the dunker spot from the power forward position, and that’s when his game really started to pop. He was operating close to the rim, where his explosiveness stood out every trip, and he was also showing that he belonged among the league’s better defenders.
The league took notice when Thompson made the All-NBA Defensive Team in just his second season. Even with Dillon Brooks on the roster, Thompson became Houston’s main answer for the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer. He didn’t land on an All-NBA Defensive Team in his third season, but his offensive game moved forward across the board.
Last season brought a dip on defense, but Thompson still posted career highs in points, assists and free-throw shooting. Now he’s entering his fourth season on a new five-year, $208 million contract, and the next step is clear: keep the offensive growth coming while getting back to the All-Defensive level he reached in his second year.
The jump shot remains the swing skill. Thompson has known from the start that he had to improve as a shooter, and that need is even more obvious now.
Houston added respected shot specialist Chip Engelland, whose track record is built on helping players become better offensive weapons, especially from deep. His assignment with Thompson is straightforward: help him become more reliable away from the basket.
Opponents have already started loading the paint against Thompson and daring him to shoot. If he can add a consistent three-point shot and a midrange game, his ceiling changes fast.
He already has the size, athleticism and defensive impact. In year four, the Rockets are hoping the rest finally comes together.
In Other News...
Kyrie And KD Reunion Buzz Just Hit A Nerve For Mavericks Fans
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have shared plenty of basketball history, and the conversation around them picked up again ahead of an NBA exhibition game between the Rockets and Mavericks. The two former teammates exchanged mutual praise, with Durant singling out Irvings skill set and Irving returning the compliment, a reminder of how naturally their names still travel together whenever one of them is in the spotlight.
For Houston fans, it is mostly background noise attached to a game on the schedule, but it has stirred the kind of chatter that tends to follow Irving wherever he goes. His future has been a topic of speculation, and any reunion talk with Durant tends to get louder fast, even as Irvings current focus remains on Dallas and the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Suddenly Linked To A De'Aaron Fox Move That Changes Everything
The Spurs long-term plan is starting to take shape around their young backcourt, with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle drawing the kind of internal confidence that suggests San Antonio is already thinking beyond the present. Reports have even gone so far as to describe Harper as the franchises second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama, which is the sort of belief that naturally starts pushing established names toward the trade market.
For Houston, that has created an unexpected watch item around DeAaron Fox, whose fit with the Rockets would be obvious on paper and sudden in practice. A deal of this size would ripple well beyond one roster swap, reshaping the guard picture in San Antonio and putting Houston in the middle of a conversation it did not seem to be having just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Faces Growing Pressure In Houston For One Big Reason
Kevin Durant arrived in Houston with the kind of rsum that usually quiets a room, not complicates it, and on paper he has delivered like the centerpiece the Rockets hoped for. He led the team last season with 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while earning All-NBA Second Team honors, a reminder that his production is still elite even as the franchise tries to sort out its long-term direction around him.
Still, Durants presence has come with a heavier conversation attached, one that has lingered through the offseason as trade speculation keeps circling. Houston is expected to keep him at least through next summer, but the larger question is how much of the Rockets leadership load he should be asked to carry once the roster is back to full strength, especially with Fred VanVleets return giving the team another experienced voice in the mix. [Read more 🡒]