Youngest Rockets must improve most to keep Houston from staying grounded

The San Antonio Spurs stole the Houston Rockets’ thunder during these most recent playoffs. If you were told going into the 2025-26 season that a Southwest Division team was knocking off defending champion Oklahoma City, most would have thought Kevin Durant had taken down the franchise that drafted him.

Instead, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle ended OKC’s reign.

Save your excuses, Houston. Although injuries played a major role in telling the story of why the Rockets fell flat, scoring 78 points at home in a first-round elimination game against the Luka Doncic-less Lakers punctuated how poorly things ended.

Houston shot 35 percent, finished 5-for-28 from 3-point range and was down 49-31 at the break with their lives on the line. The return of Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams will restore hope, but all of those guys are on the other side of 30. In KD’s case, he’ll be 38 when the season tips.

32-year-old Marcus Smart is the top offseason addition, arriving with over 800 games of pro experience including the playoffs, which includes an NBA Finals appearance.

The Rockets have plenty of winners on the roster - Durant and VanVleet are champions - but in order to reach the level a Spurs team that has leapfrogged them just did, the team’s youngest players have to take the next step.

Not included on this list below despite the fact that he was in the same rookie class as Smith and has one fewer season of NBA experience than Sengun is 25-year-old Tari Eason, who just earned himself a lucrative contract. Eason’s improvement is crucial too, but he’s not among the five youngest key contributors on Houston’s roster. These guys are, and it should be noted that all are older than San Antonio’s Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.

1. Alperen Sengun, C/F, 23 years old

Alperen Sengun is playing for Turkiye in this summer's FIBA World Cup qualifying matches and helped produce a win vs. Bosnia. — May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball 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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unless he's traded, a lot of offense will run through Sengun, who needs to get stronger and in better shape so he doesn't wear down come postseason. It's hard to imagine he'll ever be a plus-defender, but he can work on not being a liability by becoming more solid in his positioning and physically filling out. Sengun is playing for Turkiye at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers this summer, so he'll get plenty of reps and will need to cut down on his turnovers so Houston can play two-man games with him and Durant when it matters most.

2. Amen Thompson, G, 23 years old

Amen Thompson's offensive struggles kept him from reaching his full potential and must be ironed out for him to fully emerge. — Apr 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) moves the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Lakers often left Thompson unguarded from the perimeter and were rewarded with a 2-for-8 effort when he did choose to let it rip. A lack of confidence from beyond the arc is warranted since he shot 21.6 percent from 3-point range, so unless he starts punishing teams for their strategy, he'll never reach his full potential and will always hurt Houston's spacing. Considering he's an elite athlete and has already made the All-Defensive team, he's got to find a way to improve his shooting touch in order to blossom into an All-Star who impacts the game the way Castle does.

3. Jabari Smith Jr., 23 years old

Jabari Smith Jr. improved as a 3-point shooter and became more assertive as the season progressed, but he's got more to give. — Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) reacts after scoring a basket during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The former No. 3 pick rarely left the floor for Ime Udoka against the Lakers, averaging 42 minutes per game and finishing with clips of 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 37 percent on 3-pointers, making over three per game. He stepped up in Durant's absence, which must continue even as the veteran star returns. Consistency and tenacity are areas Smith must improve upon since it's clear the talent is there. His confidence fluctuates. While his offense is improving, he's got to be tougher, meaner and more of a factor in blocking shots and averaging double-figures in boards night after night.

4. Reed Sheppard, 22 years old

Coming off a horrible postseason, Reed Sheppard has plenty to work on after finally getting a chance to play consistently. — May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) handles the ball 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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following a shaky rookie season where he didn't play enough to even determine whether he was a bust, the 2024 No. 3 selection flourished in his role providing instant offense off the bench. In a perfect world, he'll be Houston's version of Celtics sixth man Payton Pritchard, but his ceiling can be even higher since he's bigger and is a skilled shot-maker with equally unlimited range. Working on his defense, ball handling and decision making will be his homework assignments over the next few seasons, but he's got a chance to be a key contributor on a title contender. Considering he had games where he shot 6-for-20, 0-for-4, 6-for-21 and 4-for-19 in Houston's four playoff losses, he's got plenty of tape to study and motivation driving him following a brutal playoff run.

5. Bruce Thornton, 22 years old

Second-round pick Bruce Thornton, who had a record-setting career at Ohio State, will have a chance to crack the rotation. — East All-Stars Ohio State Bruce Thornton (3) tips off the ball Friday, April 3, 2026, during the Reese's DI College All-Stars game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Thornton is older than Sheppard and built like a tank, so physically, he'll be able to contribute as a rookie. He's got plenty of experience, starting all 136 of his games at Ohio State, where he finished as the program's all-time leading scorer. It remains to be seen how he gets acclimated to the pros, but should be the focal point for Houston in Summer League and could play early with VanVleet working his way back from injury and Smart coming on board following his most active season since 2022-23. Thornton has a great motor, should have no problem getting into the paint and could be a pleasant surprise at an area of need for the Rockets if he can shoot it and defend at a high level. While not expected to be as vital as the four guys above him on this list, he's got a shot to be an x-factor if he hits the ground running.

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