NBC Sports Ranks Rockets as NBA's Fourth-Best Team

The 2025-26 NBA season is a quarter of the way complete. The All-Star break is fast approaching.

It'll be here before we know it.

The Houston Rockets have performed as expected. Especially considering the injuries they were dealt prior to the season (and since the season got underway).

Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun have missed time. Tari Eason missed 11 games.

Dorian Finney-Smith hasn't played yet at all and Fred VanVleet remains out with a torn ACL.

The Rockets' offense ranks second in offensive rating, but that's boosted immensely by their offensive rebounds and second chance scoring.

Such is life when a player like Steven Adams grabs one in every four offensive rebounds (which is unprecedented).

NBC Sports' Kurt Helin put together his power rankings and the Rockets ranked fourth overall, holding their same spot from last week.

Helin also delved into Houston's potential trade plans.

"Last summer, the Rockets made their big swing in trading for Kevin Durant, yet this team gets mentioned as willing to take another big swing and go after Giannis Antetokounmpo, or maybe a point guard (with Fred VanVleet out). The Rockets need to ask themselves whether they are better off giving up more young players (it would likely take Alperen Sengun or Amen Thompson) and picks to go after Antetokounmpo, or better off riding it out with the contending team they have. More and more, the sense in league circles is that the Rockets may not go all-in on Antetokounmpo if he becomes available."

As it pertains to trades, the Rockets are unlikely to go after a superstar, by all accounts.

(Everyone hates the bearer of bad news).

Mock trades and trade proposals are exciting, as is trade speculation. Fans love dreaming in their heads and putting together jersey swaps and photoshops.

The Rockets aren't going to make a major mid-season shake-up. Nor do they need to.

They're also hard-capped, so unless they trade a major contributor (which would also not make the most senseless, it's mathematically impossible to land a star.

Think about the Kevin Durant trade (which the Rockets were able to pull off for a fraction of what it would normally cost).

They had to part with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks (from a player standpoint). Those were two major pieces from last year's team.

Any trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo would surely cost much more than that. Parting with Amen Thompson or Alperen Sengun is surely an automatic rejection for the front office.