The Houston Rockets have already made one huge move by landing Kevin Durant last offseason, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst thinks they may not be done.
On the Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst said Houston looks like a team set up for another major trade, even if the timing is still unclear.
“So, look, I think the Rockets are primed to make a trade. Um, I do not know if that trade will happen, um, this season or if it will happen a year from now, but they have a lot of young guys and, um, you know, look, they were in-they’ve been in on some stuff. So let’s just see.”
He also singled out Amen Thompson as the one player who was never really in danger of being moved.
“One guy that was never going to be traded was Amen Thompson, and now he’s got a $208 million deal.”
Windhorst did not name a target or say the Rockets are currently working on a deal. Still, his read on Houston points to the same thing front offices around the league see: a team with real flexibility, real assets and a clear appetite to keep pushing.
Thompson’s new five-year, $208 million extension makes that even more obvious. He looks like a true cornerstone, the one young piece Houston is least likely to include in any blockbuster scenario.
The rest of the roster gives the Rockets plenty of options. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr,,, Tari Eason and other young players give Houston a deep pool of talent to draw from, and the team also has contracts and draft capital that could help make a deal work.
That leaves the bigger question: how far does Houston want to go to maximize what remains of Durant’s championship window?
Durant turns 38 this month, and the Rockets’ first year with him did not end the way they wanted. Houston went 52-30, then fell to the Lakers in six games in the first round. Durant still produced at a high level and earned All-NBA Second Team honors, but injuries limited him to just one game in that series.
That creates a tricky balance. The Rockets have one of the league’s most promising young cores, but they also have a veteran star whose elite years are running short. If Houston decides it needs another established name to win right now, it has enough young talent to put together a serious package.
For the moment, though, the Rockets have already made some supporting moves. They added Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic this offseason, and Fred VanVleet is expected back after missing last season. Those additions should strengthen the rotation without forcing Houston into another immediate splash.
There is also the possibility that the Durant situation could look different down the line. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently ranked Durant third among the NBA’s potential trade targets entering 2026-27, though that was an evaluation rather than a report that Houston is actively shopping him.
Nothing has been decided yet. But Windhorst’s comments are a reminder that Houston has the ingredients teams usually need when a blockbuster deal comes together: young players, movable money and the willingness to chase more. Whether that next swing comes this season or later, the Rockets remain a team to keep an eye on.
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