In each of the past two years, the Houston Rockets went 52-30 in the regular season before losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
During those respective seasons, the West was won by the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, who each exceeded 60 wins. Both have young rosters that are largely under contractual control for the foreseeable future.
So, how can the Rockets potentially get to that level? It might take bold moves and creative thinking from general manager Rafael Stone.
To that end, Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports reports:
An in-depth analysis of both the Western Conference finals and the NBA Finals revealed that the Rockets are a ways away from the upper echelon of teams, both in their own conference and the league as a whole. Such a reflection has influenced how they approach the open market, taking more of a wholesale approach than simply the “run it back” mantra previously held.
Rival teams that have contacted the Rockets recently have been informed that 23-year-old Amen Thompson is the only near untouchable on the roster, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Houston isn’t actively shopping its All-Stars or other key members, sources said, but is merely expressing more of a willingness to listen than at previous junctures.
Houston’s 2026 All-Star representatives were Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
It should be noted that Houston played without Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams for much of the 2025-26 season (all of it in the case of VanVleet), and both are expected back for 2026-27. So, some improvement can be expected simply from staying the course and reintegrating those injured players.
But, is that alone enough to reach the level of the Spurs or Thunder? That’s probably a longshot, especially when considering that other teams will have their own players returning from injuries, as well.
For example, the Thunder were missing Jalen Williams for a majority of this past season. By this fall, the 2025 All-Star is expected to fully recover, and that should give Oklahoma City its own boost.
So, what can the Rockets do? They could make aggressive moves to try and upgrade their roster in the short-term. Or, they might even take what Stone referred to in May as a “strategic step back,” which could mean trading a win-now piece (such as Durant or Sengun) for assets with more long-term upside.
Short of trading Thompson, who is widely perceived as having the most potential of anyone on Houston’s current roster, it appears all options are on the table.
For moves that are more marginal in nature, Iko lists veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith — who will effectively be on a $13-million expiring contract in 2026-27 — as a potential offseason trade candidate to help match salaries. Houston “has plans to reshape its bench,” Iko writes.
The 2026 NBA draft takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, while free agency negotiations can begin across the league on June 30 (a week later). Those inflection points on the NBA’s calendar often spark thought exercises and team-building conversations for team executives, and that certainly applies in Houston, as well.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Report: Rockets taking ‘more of a wholesale approach’ to 2026 roster
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire | USA TODAY Network
