The Houston Rockets are entering a crucial 2026-27 season.
This is the second campaign of the partnership with Kevin Durant following a trade between Houston and the Phoenix Suns in July 2025.
The Rockets put together a relatively successful 52-30 campaign with Durant, the same as the season before. It ended the same way as well.
This time around, the four-seed Rockets fell to the five-seed Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Is trouble brewing for Houston in the near future?
Houston, Durant on Uneasy Footing?
Durant seemingly committed to the Rockets last October. The two sides are working together to build a contender under the premise of a two-year, $90 million extension (Spotrac). This discount allows Houston GM Rafael Stone more flexibility from a roster-building perspective.
However, the clock might already be ticking on the partnership.
A panel of ESPN NBA Insiders have Durant as the third-most likely star player to request a trade. This comes on the heels of Giannis Antetounmpo working his way to the Miami Heat over the summer, which opens the door for the 2014 NBA MVP to find an exit.
Durant’s extension doesn’t mean a great deal at the moment for Houston, as the 37-year old holds a player option for next season.
The Rockets are heading into the new year largely opting to stand pat. The front office is committing to head coach Ime Udoka, as well as his coaching staff. The core roster is back in full tow. Houston did bring in two-way guard Marcus Smart and longtime bench extraordinaire Bogdan Bogdanović to shore up depth, but there are other roster concerns.
The bench unit (Smart, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Bogdanović, Steven Adams) is promising, but staggering minutes may create issues. Center Alperen Şengün is a metrics darling in many areas (Crafted NBA), but physical limitations on defense have come back to haunt Houston in the playoffs. The final major hurdle is in fourth-year guard Amen Thompson. The 2023 lottery pick must continue growing on the offensive side of the ball in order for Houston to reach their ceiling in the upcoming season.
What Rockets Need to do to Salvage Situation
Pressure is mounting on Houston currently. As aforementioned, Durant’s 2027-28 player option gifts him a great deal of power. The 6’11” forward has an opportunity to force his way to another ideal situation in the event that Houston underwhelms yet again.
Houston doesn’t own many avenues to improve off of last season outside of internal improvement. The team must see leaps from Thompson and Sheppard above all else, while Fred VanVleet’s return has to be made with a statement.
In the event that Houston is able to match or exceed the 2025-26 wins output, there’s a great chance that they are in position to win a playoff series. The Rockets are unlikely to advance beyond the second round, but a series win will likely appease Durant.
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