The Rockets still have a decision or two hanging over this roster, and the biggest one might be whether they keep pushing for another major swing before the season starts. Houston is trying to do two things at once: chase a title now and keep an eye on what comes next.
That tension has only grown this summer, especially with Kevin Durant already showing up in trade chatter. NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote, “Whether or not the Rockets look to continue their partnership with Durant is the big question at large, especially since they don't view him as an “untouchable” talent in trade talks on their roster. Houston viewed the opportunity to acquire Durant as a way to upgrade from Jalen Green and bridge the gaps in their lineup to contend in the West, but by no means was this addition viewed as a long-term commitment,”
Houston’s 2024-25 season never really clicked, and injuries were a huge part of that. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams both missed time, and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon said the damage went beyond simple box-score production.
“Interviews with team sources and those with knowledge of the team's operations reveal that the VanVleet injury, and the season-ending ankle injury to Steven Adams later on, impacted the team in ways that extended off the floor. Beyond the team's glaring lack of playmaking, their absences created a massive leadership void that Durant and the team struggled to fill,” they wrote.
With that in mind, another trade idea has surfaced that would send VanVleet out of Houston. SI’s Eric Jay Santos floated a blockbuster that would send Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. to the New Orleans Pelicans for Zion Williamson.
“Though the dust of free agency has started to settle, there is still time for Houston’s front office to set off fireworks before training camp. In this hypothetical trade idea, the Rockets could deal Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Zion Williamson,” Santos wrote.
The fit is obvious on paper. The Rockets believe Reed Sheppard is ready for a bigger role as their lead point guard, which opens the door for VanVleet to become available in a deal like this. Williamson is on a $197 million contract, and if he can stay healthy, he’d give Houston another big-time scorer next to Durant.
There’s also a real style matchup here that would be tough for opponents to solve. Amen Thompson and Williamson would give the Rockets a pair of explosive athletes, and that kind of speed and vertical pressure, combined with Durant’s scoring, could make Houston’s offense a nightmare if everything falls into place.
In Other News...
Tari Eason Just Put A New Twist On Houstons Tougher Offseason
The Rockets offseason had already taken on a tougher edge with the additions of Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovi, moves that gave Houston a little more muscle and a little more shot-making around the roster. Smart arrives after declining a player option with the Lakers, while Bogdanovi came in on a one-year veteran minimum contract, underscoring how the front office has tried to balance experience with flexibility as it keeps shaping the team around its younger core.
Tari Easons new four-year extension now adds another layer to that summer for Houston, because the deal was supposed to be a straightforward sign of commitment to one of the clubs more valuable young pieces. Instead, the announcement has spilled into the public conversation in an entirely different way, with Eason and his mother both responding to the online criticism that followed. For a team trying to steady its next step, even a contract extension can turn into a reminder that nothing around the Rockets stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Earned A Different Level Of NBA Respect
The leagues full 2026-27 schedule rollout offered another quiet measure of where Houston sits in the NBAs pecking order, and the answer is a lot higher than it used to be. With Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson anchoring the roster, the Rockets landed 21 nationally televised games, tying the Mavericks and putting them in a far more visible tier than the club occupied before this current group started to take shape.
It is still a long way from the kind of spotlight reserved for the Lakers, Knicks, 76ers and Spurs, who each checked in at 34, but the gap itself says something about how the league views Houston now. The Rockets have earned enough attention to be part of the national conversation on a regular basis, and the bigger question is whether this seasons version can turn that added exposure into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]