LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia has shifted the NBA picture in a way that should matter to Houston.
On Friday, James agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, and the timing only added to the churn in the East. Nearly three weeks earlier, Celtics star Jaylen Brown was sent to Philadelphia for Paul George and a package of draft picks, giving the 76ers another major piece before James arrived.
That new Philadelphia core suddenly looks loaded. The projected starters are James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, and those five players combined for 120.8 points per game last season. That number is higher than any other projected NBA lineup.
For the Rockets, though, the bigger story is what has not happened out West.
The Western Conference has stayed relatively quiet during a summer full of movement elsewhere, and that works in Houston’s favor. The Rockets finished with the fifth-best regular-season record in the West, just three wins behind the Lakers and Nuggets, and they enter the next stretch with a roster built around reigning All-Star selections Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
Houston’s 2026 playoff run ended at the hands of the Lakers in the first round, and Durant missed most of that series. James still put up 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game in that matchup.
Now James is gone from Los Angeles, and that leaves the Lakers with a real gap on the wing. They’ll lean on MVP hopeful Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and newly acquired Walker Kessler, but the 41-year-old James is no longer there to anchor the forward spots.
That puts pressure on Quentin Grimes and Jake LaRavia, two players who have spent most of their careers coming off the bench, to help fill the void.
Unless the Lakers make a major change in the coming weeks, Durant should have a clear positional edge when Houston and Los Angeles meet. With Durant finishing as the Rockets’ leading scorer at 26.0 points per game, that advantage could be enough to push Houston another step up in the championship race.
There’s more good news for the Rockets beyond James leaving the Lakers. Brown is now in Philadelphia, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is in Miami, removing two more stars who could have made Houston’s path tougher. The West still has plenty of contenders, but the Rockets’ front office can at least take comfort in this much: the conference is not much stronger than it was in June.
In Other News...
Tari Eason Just Got The Chance To Silence Rockets Doubts
Tari Easons new five-year extension gives the Rockets a clearer picture of where he fits in their long-term plans, and it also raises the standard for what comes next. Houston saw enough in his energy, defense and flashes of perimeter shooting to commit, but the front office still knows the swing skill is his jump shot, the part of his game that can make him more than just a useful rotation piece.
The Rockets are also giving him a notable assist on that front by adding Chip Engelland to the staff, a move aimed at tightening up the kind of shot that looked promising early last season before fading later on. Easons early stretch showed why the organization remains intrigued, but the inconsistency that followed is exactly why this next phase matters so much for both player and team. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Added Another Young Forward And Camp Just Got More Crowded
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Phillips joins Isaiah Crawford, JaeSean Tate and Oscar Tshiebwe as the Rockets continue sorting through a crowded camp group with jobs still to be won. For a team that has leaned into competition and flexibility, the next few weeks will be about which of these low-risk additions can carve out a real role when training camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets May Have Finally Found What Amen Thompson Was Missing
Amen Thompson has already shown why the Rockets are so high on him. His athleticism and defensive impact have made him a cornerstone in Houston, but the next step in his rise has always been obvious: the jumper. For a player who can get downhill and create advantages, even a modest leap from the perimeter would change how defenses have to guard him.
Houston seems intent on helping him get there. The Rockets brought in Chip Engelland, one of the leagues most respected shooting teachers, to work with Thompson, and there is at least some encouraging evidence that improvement is possible after Thompson boosted his free-throw shooting last season. With more playmakers around him and a staff that clearly believes in the long-term payoff, the question in Houston is no longer whether Thompson can impact winning. It is how much more dangerous he becomes if the shot starts to follow. [Read more 🡒]