Missing Piece from Houston Rockets Current Roster

After a blockbuster trade for NBA star Kevin Durant, let's take a look at the Rockets' current roster before the NBA Draft.

May 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (middle left) and forward Tari Eason (middle right) hold towels on their faces during game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets finally pulled the trigger to land NBA superstar Kevin Durant, which now puts an alpha-male scorer on the Houston Rockets, a key piece they seemed to be missing despite being the No. 2 seed last season in the Western Conference.

Both Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green were included in this trade from Houston, along with draft capital for this season and the future for Phoenix. Brooks could be the biggest hit to Houston as he was their best three-point shooter this past season, which came at 39.7% rate. This could lead to Houston making another move this offseason, as they are still in need of another sharpshooter for their roster.

As it currently stands, this is who the Houston Rockets have signed to their roster for next season:

Starters: Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, and Alperen Şengün

Bench: Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason, Steven Adams

One missing piece for the starters is a point guard, as the Houston Rockets are still deciding what to do with Fred VanVleet's club option.

The Houston Rockets are likely to decline the $44.9 million team option on veteran guard Fred VanVleet and discuss a new multi-year extension in the coming days, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 23, 2025

There have been reports made by The Athletic's Kelly Iko, stating the Rockets could decline VanVleet's option, but are still open to discussing a potential restructure in a multi-year deal. His current $44.9 million team option creates an obstacle in Houston's efforts to land another shooter, and also work on their extensions for Durant, which is a big reason why the Rockets would like to discuss a restructure with a longer commitment.

The Rockets and Fred VanVleet have mutual interest on signing a new long-term contract, per @ShamsCharania (https://t.co/SBnqVNL6OL).

Houston holds a $44.9 team option on VanVleet, which they can decline to sign him at a lower figure for multiple years. pic.twitter.com/aAj3bopWD8

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 14, 2025

VanVleet has already expressed his interest in returning to Houston, as Shams Charania reported last week, and now with the Rockets successfully landing Durant, the veteran guard VanVleet could be enticed to stay at a lower price if it means potentially winning an NBA Championship in Houston.

The Rockets will be the team to monitor these next few weeks when it comes to VanVleet; a deal could essentially be made soon if the two sides can find an agreement suitable for both parties.