Bogdan Bogdanovic may have just made the Rockets’ rotation conversation a lot more interesting.
Houston already looks settled with nine obvious names heading into the 2026-27 NBA season - Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Steven Adams and Marcus Smart - but Bogdanovic gave Ime Udoka something extra to weigh after Thursday night.
In Houston’s 116-89 preseason win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 34-year-old veteran led the Rockets with 15 points and hit 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range. That kind of spacing, paired with the way he moves without the ball, could be enough to make Udoka consider going deeper than nine once the games start counting.
The preseason finale also gave the Rockets several other strong individual performances. Sengun finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 24 minutes, shooting 7 of 11. Amen Thompson added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes, while Durant scored 11 points in 16 minutes on 4-of-10 shooting.
Tari Eason was efficient again, putting up 12 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes while going 5 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from deep. Reed Sheppard chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes, making 4 of 9 shots and 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Oklahoma City got 18 points and seven rebounds from Jalen Williams in 25 minutes, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points and three assists in 26 minutes, though he was minus-24. Williams shot 7 of 14, and Gilgeous-Alexander went 5 of 12.
The Thunder wrapped up the preseason at 1-4, while the Rockets finished 2-1. Both teams now turn to the regular season, with Oklahoma City opening Tuesday in San Antonio and Houston beginning Wednesday at home against Dallas.
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Reed Sheppard Faces A Tough Rockets Reality This Season
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The issue for Sheppard is that Houstons guard room is crowded enough that shooting alone may not be enough to carve out steady minutes. With Marcus Smart, Fred VanVleet and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the mix, the Rockets have more veterans to lean on, and the questions around Sheppards defense only add another layer to the challenge. For a player who looked like he could push for a larger role, the season may end up being more about patience than instant opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Playoff Hopes Come With One Backcourt Concern They Can't Ignore
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Amen Thompson could be part of that answer if the Rockets decide to lean into his playmaking more, but there is also a bigger swing on the board if they want a more established fix. Houstons playoff ambitions make the position hard to ignore, and the front office may have to decide whether internal development is enough or whether a trade path is necessary to raise the ceiling of the group. [Read more 🡒]
Which Rockets Young Star Must Deliver Next To KD
Houstons rise last season, capped by a 52-30 finish, came with the kind of abrupt playoff exit that tends to sharpen every conversation around a young core. With Kevin Durant now in the mix alongside Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets enter the 2026-27 season with more expectations than excuses, and more eyes on which of their rising pieces is ready to take the next step.
That question has already become a talking point among On SI writers, who are weighing which young Rocket carries the biggest burden going forward. Reed Sheppard is part of that discussion, but so are Sengun and Thompson, and the answer may say as much about the teams future shape as it does about any one players development. [Read more 🡒]