The Rockets are heading into the 2026-27 season with a lot riding on what comes next, and the spotlight is fixed on three figures in particular. After back-to-back early playoff exits, the pressure in Houston is no longer subtle.
Reed Sheppard is one of the clearest names on that list. He was a much better player last season than the rookie who slipped out of the rotation, but the final image of the 22-year-old is still rough: a poor postseason series against the Lakers, where he shot 31%, coughed up costly turnovers and got picked on defensively.
Sheppard went from averaging 12.6 minutes in 52 games as a rookie to 26.2 minutes while appearing in all 82 games last season, with Fred VanVleet’s knee injury opening the door. That door may not stay open.
VanVleet should be back, Marcus Smart arrived on a two-year deal, and Sheppard is going to have to win his minutes this time around.
There’s extra weight on Sheppard because this is his third season, the point where first-round picks start feeling the pull of an extension. He has not met expectations yet, and the comparison next door only sharpens the pressure: Stephon Castle, drafted right after him and just 180 miles away, has already outperformed him.
VanVleet, meanwhile, goes from underappreciated to indispensable in the span of one injury. The Rockets learned how much he mattered when he was gone last season. They finished tied for 27th in turnover rate after ranking inside the top 11 in each of the previous two seasons, and the absence of a true point guard showed up over and over, especially in fourth quarters.
Rafael Stone said at Summer League that he expects VanVleet to be ready for training camp, and VanVleet told Vanessa Richardson that he’s on track with his rehab. Getting him back would help immediately, but he still has to produce. He’s on a $25 million expiring contract now, and if he doesn’t play well, Houston could decide to use that deal in a larger move as it tries to push past those two straight early exits.
The Rockets had the chance to move VanVleet last season and passed for two reasons: they valued his leadership and everything else he brings, and he also had the power to block a trade at the time. That veto is gone now.
Then there’s Ime Udoka, who has already changed the program. Houston won 41 games and then 52 in his first two seasons, a huge jump from the 20 and 22 wins the two years before he arrived. But last season’s 52-win finish didn’t feel like the leap people expected after the Kevin Durant trade, even with Durant playing at an All-NBA level.
VanVleet’s September knee injury was not on Udoka, but the problems that showed up in November were still hanging around in April. The roster reflects Udoka’s vision, and Marcus Smart’s arrival only drove that home. The Rockets also added shooting and development coach Chip Engelland, but Udoka did not bring in an assistant to help lift the half-court offense.
Ownership has backed him heavily, making Udoka one of the NBA’s highest-paid coaches after the 2025 season. Now the Fertittas want postseason results, especially after paying the luxury tax for the first time last season and expecting to be back in it again in 2028.
There’s no mistaking what they’ve seen around the league, either. They watched the Knicks win a championship shortly after firing Tom Thibodeau.
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