The Houston Rockets have climbed back into the playoff picture, but the next step may hinge on a tough call involving Kevin Durant.
Houston spent the last couple of years clawing its way back toward relevance, and Durant helped get them there. The Rockets are back in the postseason after missing out every year from 2021 through 2024, a stretch that stood in stark contrast to the franchise’s run from 2013 to 2020, when it made eight straight playoff appearances and reached the conference finals twice.
The roster has already seen meaningful changes. Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Amen Thompson are part of the mix, and this season Houston added Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović. But Durant remains the biggest name in the room, and also the biggest question.
He is still one of the most decorated players in NBA history: a league MVP, two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 16-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, four-time scoring champion and Rookie of the Year. Even so, he just completed his 19th NBA season, and the idea that he can still carry a team all the way to the Finals is no longer a given.
That’s where the Rockets’ dilemma gets sharper. Durant has two years left on his contract, and he is by far the highest-paid player on the roster in both seasons. Houston is under the second apron, but the financial pressure is only going to build from here, and that will make roster flexibility harder to manage.
The other concern is availability. If that becomes more of an issue, the contract only magnifies the problem. For a Rockets team trying to keep pushing forward in the Western Conference, the front office has to decide whether Durant is helping drive that rise or standing in its way.
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Amen Thompson Knows What Could Change Everything For The Rockets
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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 🡒]