The Rockets are heading into next season with Kevin Durant still very much at the center of the conversation, and that alone keeps Houston’s outlook fascinating.
Durant just finished his first year in Houston by putting up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 78 games, production that shows he’s still operating at an elite level at age 38. The Rockets went 52-30, and on paper they have reason to be optimistic again. But the bigger question hanging over the roster isn’t what Durant can do now - it’s how long he’ll actually stay.
There’s already plenty of speculation that Durant could be traded to or sign with a different NBA team soon, even with a player option sitting there for the 2027-2028 season. And since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, he hasn’t spent more than three seasons with any franchise, which only adds fuel to the uncertainty around his future in Houston.
OnSI writers offered two different reads on where this might be headed, but both centered on the same pressure point: team success. One view tied Durant’s future to how far the Rockets go this season, noting that he played just one playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers after getting hurt and watching Houston fall in six games.
That outlook sees the Rockets as a team that should make the playoffs comfortably with the current roster and maybe win a first-round series, but not necessarily as one ready to take down OKC or San Antonio in a true Finals push. It also pointed to the trade market, asking whether there would even be many teams willing to take on a 38-year-old on his current contract.
And if Houston does decide to move on, the same assessment questioned whether Alperen Sengun is ready to become the No. 1 option, especially in the late-game moments where Durant tends to thrive. The conclusion there: keep Durant through the last two years of the deal and revisit it only if the next two seasons disappoint.
The other take was even more direct about the urgency of this season. It described the situation as something that “oddly feels like it,” even though Durant remains Houston’s top scorer and, when he’s locked in defensively, its best all-around player.
That perspective made the case that the Rockets have already committed to their young core, ideally with one of Sengun or Amen Thompson making the jump into franchise-cornerstone territory. If that doesn’t happen, the argument goes, Houston may need to reset and reshuffle rather than carry Durant into his age-39 season.
He can still score at a high level for a few more years, and he held up well physically last season, but this is viewed as the cleanest chance for Houston’s timeline and Durant’s talent to match up. If the Rockets don’t get at least to the conference finals, that viewpoint suggests a pivot could follow, with Durant on a sixth team before retirement.
In Other News...
Marcus Smart Is Giving The Rockets A Reason To Believe
Marcus Smart didnt need long to make his case in Houstons second preseason game, turning in a lively all-around effort that fit neatly with what the Rockets want from him. In 24 minutes, he brought scoring, rebounding and playmaking to the table, the kind of veteran presence that can stabilize a young roster and give Fred VanVleet another backcourt partner who can handle the ball or function away from it.
The bigger takeaway for the Rockets is how naturally Smarts versatility can slide into multiple lineup looks if the shot keeps following him. His three-point work was encouraging, and Houston will be watching to see whether cleaner shot selection can make that part of his game even more efficient as the season approaches. If it does, the Rockets may have more than just an experienced defender on their hands. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Opening Week Plan Sends An Early Message About Two Veterans
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There is also an immediate ripple effect in the backcourt when VanVleet is unavailable. Instead of turning to Reed Sheppard, Houston plans to start Marcus Smart at point guard, giving the Rockets a more experienced hand to organize the offense while VanVleet rests. It is an early-season lineup wrinkle, but one that offers a useful glimpse at how the coaching staff sees the guard rotation unfolding when the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Open Against A Mavericks Frontcourt Problem That Could Matter Fast
Opening night brings the Houston Rockets a Dallas frontcourt that is already short-handed, and the matchup is shaped as much by availability as by star power. Kyrie Irving is set to make his return to NBA action for the Mavericks, but Dallas is dealing with several injured players and the big-man rotation is especially thin heading into the game.
Dereck Lively II is out because of right foot surgery, leaving an immediate hole in the middle for a team that could use every body it can get. Houston has its own injury watch to track as well, with Steven Adams and Julian Phillips listed as questionable, so the opening-week frontcourt picture is still fluid on both sides. [Read more 🡒]