The Rockets have spent most of their roster-building energy on defense and rebounding, so Bogdan Bogdanovic stands out as the clear exception. He brings a different kind of value: shooting, ball-handling, and enough playmaking to give Houston another creator on the floor.
That said, the big question is whether he still has it.
Bogdanovic played only 23 games last season and averaged 7.4 points while posting a 52.5 True Shooting %. According to DataBallr, the Clippers were -5.1 with him on the court.
The charitable read is that he was dealing with injury, including one he suffered in EuroLeague over the summer. The less generous version is tougher to ignore: at 34, maybe the decline is real.
But there was another stretch in 2024-25 that offered a different picture. After a rough 24-game run with the Hawks, Bogdanovic was traded to the Clippers and caught fire, averaging 11.4 points per game while knocking down 42.7% of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game in 30 games with the Los Angeles Aspiration*. That version of Bogdanovic is exactly why the Rockets took the swing.
*Shout out to Pablo Torres.
If Houston gets that player, the fit makes sense in a very specific way. He could bring floor spacing and secondary handling to a roster that doesn’t have a lot of either. Thirty-four isn’t young, but it also isn’t ancient, and there’s at least a chance he’s healthy enough to help.
The problem is defense, which has never really been his calling card. And then there’s the Marcus Smart factor.
Houston added Smart this summer, and while he doesn’t offer the same offensive juice as Bogdanovic at his peak, the defensive gap is obvious. With Ime Udoka running the show, that matters.
So the signing says two things at once: Rafael Stone seems to understand a real need on the roster, and Bogdanovic may have to wait for his shot. Whether he gets enough of one to matter is still the open question.
In Other News...
Amen Thompson Knows What Could Change Everything For The Rockets
Amen Thompson arrived at Rockets training camp with the same bigger-picture ambition he has been carrying all along, but the conversation around him kept circling back to the one skill that could reshape his ceiling. The criticism of his inconsistent jumpshot has followed him, and Thompson met it head-on, making clear he believes the shot can improve and that he is willing to put in the work to get there. For a Houston team trying to sort out its long-term core, that matters because Thompsons development is about more than one facet of his game.
Thompson said he has been focused on that part of his game all offseason, and he is aiming higher than just becoming a steadier shooter. He wants All-Star and All-NBA recognition, and the early signs from within the locker room have been encouraging, with teammates noticing progress in his shot and his physical condition. If that improvement keeps building, it could change the way opponents defend him and, in turn, open up another level for the Rockets. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Is Already Changing Jabari Smith Jr In Houston
Jabari Smith Jr. spent the offseason working on the finer points of his game, and Kevin Durant was part of the blueprint. The Rockets forward said he has been trying to play lower and clean up his footwork after taking cues from Durants pace and balance, a subtle shift that fits Houstons broader optimism heading into the new season. With Durant in the mix and young pieces like Smith, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson still ascending, the Rockets have plenty of reason to believe the next step can come from internal growth as much as from star power.
For Smith, the changes are less about bulk and more about staying mobile, which matters on both ends for a player expected to keep expanding his role. The challenge is finding the right version of that evolution without sacrificing the agility that lets him handle smaller defenders, and that balance will be worth watching as the Rockets try to blend Durants veteran polish with the energy of their younger core. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Trade Buzz Just Put Houston's Commitment In Focus
Kevin Durants name is already surfacing in early trade chatter again, which is hardly surprising for a player with his rsum and a player option sitting out there for the 2027-28 season. The latest buzz has him drawing interest from Detroit, but for Houston the bigger takeaway is what has not happened: the Rockets have built their roster around a young core and a win-now structure, with Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet giving the team a clearer direction than it has had in years.
Even with Durant still producing at an All-NBA level, Houston has shown no appetite for opening the door on his market, and a move before the season starts looks unlikely. That stance says plenty about where the Rockets see themselves right now - not as a club tempted by star-chasing noise, but as one committed to protecting the pieces that have made the roster so promising in the first place. [Read more 🡒]