Rockets Could Become Major Player This Offseason

The Houston Rockets hold a lot of cards at the offseason poker table.

Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are hoping to make some noise in their first season back in the postseason picture.

However, the Rockets will have a better chance to be truly in the mix of the contender conversation next season based on what happens this summer.

ESPN insider Bobby Marks believes the Rockets could be a team to watch during the offseason when it comes to making moves.

"In the West, Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone held true to his word at the trade deadline, when he mentioned no changes were coming to the roster," Marks writes. After a year of evaluating, does that thinking change this offseason?

"The Rockets do not have cap space like Brooklyn but have the draft assets and contracts to make a big move in the offseason. Houston has a potential lottery pick from the Phoenix Suns this year along with their first-round picks unprotected in 2027 and 2029. The Rockets can also swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2027, plus they own the Dallas Mavericks' 2029 first-rounder unprotected.

"As for the current roster, Houston has a mix of veterans (Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks) and former first-round picks on rookie contracts (Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore). Smith is rookie-extension eligible starting on the first day after the NBA Finals conclude, while the poison pill restrictions for All-Star Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green get lifted on July 1."

Perhaps a consolidation trade happens this summer that allows the Rockets to bring in a superstar like Kevin Durant or Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns. It's also possible that the team could hold on and wait it out a little longer, but it all depends on how the Rockets do in the playoffs.

The better Houston does in the postseason, the less likely the team needs to make a move. However, assuming the Rockets fall short of a championship, the team should look to make an upgrade or two in order to get closer to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The Rockets are back in action tonight as they take on the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT inside the Delta Center.

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