Winners and Losers from the Rockets 2025-26 Season

The Houston Rockets' season was full of highs and lows that ultimately saw its end in the first round once again, this time to an undermanned Los Angeles Lakers squad. Given the team was exceptionally young besides a couple of veterans, the inconsistencies were expected.

Either way, most would believe the Rockets had enough talent to take care of the Lakers but failed to execute and shoot on the offensive end. A lot of that has to do with the current roster construction. Some Rockets players stood out for their growth and consistent play, while others regressed and raised more questions for the future.

Here are two winners and two losers from the Rockets' past season.

Winner: Amen Thompson

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) shoots outside against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Thompson continued to show why he is one of the more unique talents in the NBA with his incredible athleticism in his third season. He started and played almost every game for the Rockets this past season and almost all his numbers went up across the board.

Thompson played the most minutes in the NBA this season with just over 37 per game and averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. The points went up by four per game from last season while his assists numbers improved by three. That was due to Thompson manning the point guard position for most of the season.

Thompson jumped to over 19 PPG in the playoffs with 44 minutes per game while having higher assist, block and steal numbers from last year's postseason.

There were struggles, but also great improvement in that aspect. While he did have some issues of running an offense, that is expected with his inexperience as a true point guard. Thompson did show some potential as a facilitator, but his strength is obviously off-ball.

The 23-year-old was great on defense once again, and still shot 53 percent from the field even with the high usage. Thompson's free throw percentage went up by almost 10 points from 68 percent to 78 percent. There was also some development with his jump shot as he was able to make some pull-up mid-range shots. The 3-point shot still needs to improve and that could come in year four.

There's a reason why Thompson could sign a five-year, $250 million extension in this offseason. Strong improvement with high usage makes next season exciting to see.

Winner: Jabari Smith Jr.

The time was running out for Smith Jr., a former third overall pick from 2022 to prove himself. This was the fourth season as a starter and the consistency just wasn't there.

Smith Jr. took a big step in the second half of the season and cemented himself as a solid wing player and starter going forward. His leadership also improved as well as his maturity. This was the best season of Smith Jr.'s career much like Thompson. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Smith Jr. played 77 games during the regular season and averaged over 35 minutes, well over his previous three years. His total points went up by three per game. This was the best 3-point shooting of his career at just over 36 percent while remaining consistent in other areas. He was also a solid defender.

The 22-year-old being able to knock down shots from the outside greatly improved the offense and his confidence has skyrocketed. Smith Jr. made the first six playoff starts of his career and he jumped to 17.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG while shooting 37 percent from downtown in 42 minutes per game.

Loser: Alperen Sengun

This might be a hot take to some, but even with his second straight All-Star selection, Sengun just didn't consistently perform at the level that he needed to. Once you're the first All-Star of the young core, the expectations are higher.

Ultimately, there were long stretches where he did not live up to those standards. While still struggling on defense, Sengun wasn't consistently making shots or dominating in the paint. He also wasn't grabbing double-digit rebounds at a solid rate. After three good games in a six-game playoff series, there is a question on if the Rockets would consider trading Sengun to get a more experienced and accomplished big man such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After five seasons in the league, Sengun needs to take a stronger step forward and that was displayed in some games where he was a great blocker on defense while being an aggressive force on offense. If that Sengun comes out more, he's a special player.

Sengun averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52 percent from the field. His numbers look good, but it can be a different story when watching at times. He's a unique shot-maker, and the Rockets would like to see him be that All-Star on a nightly basis.

While his playoff numbers went down as a whole this season, Sengun's Game 3 of 33 points, 16 rebounds and six assists while shooting 56 percent was incredible.

Loser: Dorian Finney-Smith

At the time, this was a big splash signing in free agency. The Rockets signed Finney-Smith to a massive four-year, $53 million deal this past offseason and it has aged poorly.

Given the way Finney-Smith was performing before his injury, this signing made sense but it was a complete fail in year one. DFS was coming off left ankle surgery in June and his expected return was delayed until Christmas Day. He just didn't look the same from his previous season in limited minutes.

The expectations are high when you sign someone to a deal like this, and the hope would be that Finney-Smith gets back to being who he was after a fully healthy offseason. DFS averaged just 3.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG while shooting a career low 33 percent overall and 27 percent from three.

Finney-Smith had some good defensive plays, but was not consistent in that. He shot 41 percent from three in 2024-25 and had four other seasons at over a 35 percent clip during his 11 years in the NBA. The 33-year-old veteran needs to have a turnaround season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google