In my nearly 20 years in radio and my over 30 years as a Houstonian, I’m not sure if I can recall a more polarizing GOOD team than the 2025-2026 Houston Rockets. On the one hand, they matched last season’s record of 52-30. They’re a 50-plus win team which, by definition, makes them a good NBA team, inarguably.
On the other hand, there were times this season when they were a freaking disaster. Their lack of a point guard, after Fred Vanvleet’s season-ending ACL tear before the season even began, resulted in a disjointed, turnover prone offense. They blew numerous big leads late and were 1-8 in overtime games. Their collapse at the end of Game 3 of this Lakers series was one of the worst in NBA history.
So what do they do now? Where do they go from here? Is Kevin Durant the only thing that separates them from actually missing the playoffs, or is he a chemistry killing adolescent, denigrating his teammates on burner accounts?
Those questions, and dozens of others, are now facing the Fertitta family this offseason. What are the fans hoping the team does these next few months? Well, I actually posed that question via X (formerly known as Twitter) — what do YOU want the Rockets to do this offseason?
Here were the results, along with my comments on each approach afterwards:
Okay, now about each of these choices:
Trade Durant, build around the “young core”
More Rocket fans probably want this one than would have been thought before the All Star break. Durant was sensational all season, but the likely burner account scorching of his teammates revealed at the All Star break, along with the injuries in the postseason, have soured some fans on Durant. The 37 year old All Star still has tremendous value around the league, so acquiring a few valuable pieces to slide in with the young group that started the final four games of the Lakers series makes some sense.
Break up the “young core,” keep Durant, bring in an aging All Star
The flip side to the above choice is that Durant was the Rockets’ best player this season, a fringe MVP candidate. Also, he took a pay cut on his extension with the Rockets so GM Rafael Stone could roster build. The Fertitta family ignoring this and moving on from him is a move that might resonate negatively around the league. Then there is the basic likelihood that the Rockets are likely a worse team in the short term with this choice. Durant was largely sensational this past season. That must be reinforced repeatedly, even despite the possible chemistry issues his burner accounts may have caused.
Run it back with this crew, adding Vanvleet and Steven Adams
This is not only the most popular choice but the most likely, in my opinions. The Fertitta family reportedly has no inclination to drop head coach Ime Udoka nor Stone. The impact of the Vanvleet and Adams injuries was significant. Getting both back shifts the calculus heavily in the on court leadership deficiency and the backslide in the offensive rebounding department. I think Rockets fans might need to brace themselves that this frustrating band of brothers may be back for another season in 2026-2027.
