The Rockets didn’t go shopping for a splashy upgrade this offseason, and that choice has drawn plenty of second-guessing. But Houston may already have something that matters just as much in a crowded Western Conference: two big men who let the team tilt in completely different directions without losing size.
Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams give the Rockets a built-in menu of options. One night, they can lean into a switchable, perimeter-friendly look.
Another, they can smash teams with a bruising frontcourt that’s built for bully ball. That flexibility is the edge Houston is banking on.
There’s a reason the Rockets are comfortable staying with what they have. Even without a settled point guard for all of last season, they still won 52 games and finished fifth in the West.
With Adams available, they were even better, going 21-11. His season ended in January after an ankle injury, and that loss didn’t just hurt Houston’s rebounding and physicality.
It also took away one of the team’s best lineup tricks.
When Adams was in the rotation, Houston could throw out its most imposing frontcourt by pairing him with Alperen Sengun. That kind of size gave the Rockets a nasty answer for smaller opponents, and even for teams that don’t bring much muscle in the middle, like the San Antonio Spurs.
Smith gives Houston the other end of the spectrum. At 6'11", he has the frame to play power forward, but he can also slide to center and open up the floor. His three-point shooting and steady defense have turned him into exactly the kind of role player who can fit next to a traditional big or alongside four perimeter players, especially if one of them is Kevin Durant.
The good news for Houston is that this versatility isn’t going anywhere soon. Adams is under contract through 2028 on a declining deal, and Smith is secured until 2031. The Rockets will eventually have to make some difficult financial choices, but these two aren’t part of that immediate squeeze.
Neither one is a superstar. That’s not the point.
Adams and Smith give Houston something more subtle and maybe more valuable in the regular season: the ability to keep changing shapes without sacrificing size. In the right playoff matchups, that kind of flexibility can matter plenty too.
In Other News...
Rockets Fans May Hate What An Anthony Davis Pursuit Could Cost
Anthony Davis has already been through the trade carousel more than once in recent years, and for now he is settling in with the Washington Wizards. Washington and Davis have agreed to push extension talks until after the start of the 2026-2027 season, which at least buys both sides time before any long-term decision has to be made.
Still, the league rarely lets a player of Davis stature drift without noise, and Houston keeps surfacing in the speculation. The appeal is obvious from a Rockets perspective, but so is the price of chasing a star with that kind of history and contract uncertainty, which is why any serious pursuit would be about much more than simply adding another name to the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Just Sparked A Debate Rockets Fans Will Follow Closely
Kevin Durant has sparked a fresh bit of offseason intrigue for Rockets fans, and this one has nothing to do with the box score. After Durant floated a challenge for NBA content creators to take on professional players in a 5-on-5 game, YouTuber FlightReacts stepped forward quickly and made it clear he wants in, turning a casual idea into something with real online buzz around Houstons star.
FlightReacts said he would organize and livestream the game, said he only needs a couple of days notice, and even gave Durant the freedom to put together his own team. For now, the ball is back in Durants court, and the only thing missing is whether he decides to make the matchup official. [Read more 🡒]
Amen Thompson Could Force A Huge Rockets Lineup Decision
Amen Thompson keeps pushing the Rockets toward a different kind of lineup conversation, one that is less about traditional point guard structure and more about how much shooting can be packed around his game. Houston has enough versatile pieces to make that idea intriguing, with Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart all fitting into combinations that could keep the floor open while preserving the teams length and defensive flexibility.
The appeal is obvious because Thompsons size and athleticism let the Rockets imagine lineups that can defend multiple spots without getting small. The bigger question is how far they want to go in building around that concept and which mix of wings and shooters gives them the best balance, since the answer could shape a major rotation decision when the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]