Rockets Offseason Preview: Could Kevin Durant Get a New Co-Star to Aid Title Push?

The Rockets headed into this season with high expectations. It would take a lot to get past the defending champion Thunder and the rising Spurs, but Houston’s young core and trade for Kevin Durant gave it as good a shot as any other team in the stacked Western Conference.

Durant is certainly an aging superstar, but he remains one of the NBA’s best bucket getters and greatest scorers of all time. He inked a two-year contract extension upon his arrival in Houston as the Rockets hoped to make a title push around Durant and the organization’s exciting young core of Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard.

Sheppard broke out as a top-tier shooter after an up-and-down rookie season, while Durant’s gravity gave the rest of Houston’s youngsters more room to thrive. Durant, at 37 years old, averaged 26.0 points per game and coach Ime Udoka got 20.4 more points a night from Şengün, 18.3 from Thompson and 15.8 from Smith.

Still, however, the Western Conference is a different beast as the Thunder and Spurs separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Houston finished the regular season with a solid 52–30 record, which earned the Rockets the No. 5 seed and a first-round meeting with the Lakers.

Los Angeles was without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to start the series, but Houston still worked itself into a 3–0 hole. The Rockets still fought, winning the next two games that led to a Game 6 at home that provided the opportunity to force a decider in L.A.

Although it looked like the Rockets were in an advantageous situation heading into the series due to the Lakers’ injury struggles, Houston was dealt a bad hand of its own when Durant was suddenly ruled out for Game 1. He returned for Game 2 and scored 23 points, but the Rockets were not able to overcome more brilliance from LeBron James. In the loss, Durant sprained his ankle and the Rockets were without their best scorer for the rest of the series.

Despite the 3–0 hole, the young Rockets were able to win the next two games to make the series interesting, but winning four straight was too big a mountain to climb as Houston’s season ended with a 98–78 loss Friday in Game 6. Now, the franchise must determine what it needs to do to compete in the West next year and capitalize on what’s left of Durant’s storied career. He’s slated to be back on the roster next year barring a sudden trade, which leaves the big question: How can Houston build a title contender around Durant with its available assets?

What follows is a look at an interesting offseason on the horizon in Houston, from the team’s free agents to decisions the franchise may need to make surrounding its key contributors.

Each Rockets free agent this offseason

Tari Eason started for the Rockets in place of Kevin Durant over the playoffs | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Each member of Houston's core remains on its books for next season. Durant, Şengün, Thompson, Sheppard and Smith are all under contract for one or multiple more seasons. Şengün and Sheppard are eligible for an extension after next season, while Thompson is eligible for a big payday this year. Houston will almost certainly ink Thompson to a longterm deal, but a new contract wouldn't kick in until after next season which gives the team some wiggle room salary wise next year.

The Rockets do have a number of free agents who played an impactful role this season, but each free agent is on a smaller contract and Houston won't break the bank should it want to retain one or most of them. Fred VanVleet missed the entirety of the season with a torn ACL and he has a $25 million player option for next season. It's hard to imagine that the 31-year-old guard wouldn't pick up the option after he missed a full year of basketball. Plus, it's unlikely that the Rockets or any other team would give him a raise when you consider all the missed time and that he's not getting any younger.

As long as VanVleet is able to return as close to his normal self as possible after the injury, he'll be a much-welcomed veteran presence on the floor alongside Durant. Maybe he evolves into a bench role with Thompson and Sheppard's emergence, or Houston could use his $25 million salary in a trade since it would be a valuable expiring contract at that point.

Here's a look at each Rockets free agent general manager Rafael Stone will have to decide whether to retain this offseason aside from VanVleet, who will make that decision for himself:

Unrestricted free agents:

Jae'Sean Tate (Forward)
Josh Okogie (Guard/forward)
Aaron Holiday (Guard)
Jeff Green (Forward)

Restricted free agents:

Tari Eason (Forward)
Isaiah Crawford (Two-way guard)

Player option:

Fred VanVleet (Guard)

Team option:

J.D. Davison (Guard)

Extension eligible:

Amen Thompson (Guard)

Do the Rockets need to push their chips in with a big trade this offseason?

Alperen Sengu — Alperen Şengün may be Houston's most prized piece on the trade market, if it's willing to part with him | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Debatably the biggest question that surrounds the Rockets this offseason is whether the franchise needs to make a splash on the trade market to put a new, flashy star alongside Durant. Houston was rumored as a suitor in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this season before Milwaukee decided to hold onto its longtime superstar. That could change over the offseason after the Bucks missed the playoffs and Antetokounmpo was at odds with the organization about keeping him out of games down the stretch. All signs point toward a breakup, and Houston could put together one of, if not the best trade package to send back to Milwaukee.

If Stone does decide to make a splash, he'd have to part with one or potentially multiple of the Rockets' young core. Thompson is likely untouchable as he's already received All-Defensive First Team honors last year and put up a career high 18.3 points per game this year. That leaves Şengün, Sheppard and Smith. None are players that Houston would rush to get rid of, but all names that the team may need to part with to put a true star next to Durant. If VanVleet picks up his $25 million player option as expected, his deal turns into a valuable expiring contract in any trade package to make the money work.

To get a player of Antetokounmpo's stature, the Bucks would likely ask for Şengün in return. He already has two All-Star appearances under his belt at just 23 years old and could be the true prize for the other side in an outgoing trade package. Stone may not be willing to part with him, but Milwaukee may require Şengün and then some in a potential Antetokounmpo deal. Plus, Şengün's salary would almost be a necessary piece to get toward Antetokounmpo's massive amount. Yes, the Bucks have lost some leverage with the messy Antetokounmpo situation, but players like him rarely come available on the trade market. Sheppard would be coveted by any team, but Houston may be more willing to part with Şengün as Sheppard comes off a breakout year where he had a nice postseason and is two years younger. Maybe Milwaukee would need both to get a deal done, which would hurt for the Rockets, but Giannis is Giannis.

Antetokounmpo isn't the only fish out there, just the biggest one. The Rockets could make a trade where they don't give up any members of their young core centered around draft capital, veterans and VanVleet's expiring deal. Or, the bombshell could be if Durant asks out before he has to decide whether to pick up a $46.1 million player option for the 2027–28 season. There's not much reason to believe Durant is unhappy in Houston, but we've seen it before. You simply never know.

Could Houston part with Ime Udoka?

There's been some chatter about Ime Udoka's future with the franchise as they struggled in the first round against the injury-riddled Lakers. That's mostly come due to his comments after Game 3 where Houston fell in overtime and the third-year Houston coach seemingly called out his young players postgame.

"Horrendous mistakes, I don't know if you want to say youth or scared of the moment or whatever the case," Udoka said via Rockets on SI's Lachard Binkley. "You have a six-point lead with 30 seconds to go and just have to hold the ball or get fouled. It's basically a one-on-four, throw it away and to combat it and make it worse, a terrible foul on Marcus Smart to give him three free throws."

In the moment, the comments were frustration about blowing a late lead when his team had a chance to get back in the series. Instead, it was a devastating loss and a 3–0 hole the Rockets dug for themselves. Maybe it was a motivation tactic that worked as Houston bounced back for a 19-point win in Game 4 to extend its season. Nevertheless, whether a change is needed on the bench is an interesting question for a team that has disappointed in the postseason in two straight seasons.

Udoka is 145–101 in his three seasons as Rockets coach and he signed a long-term extension in 2025 that made him one of the NBA's highest paid coaches. A decision to part with Udoka would be a drastic statement that says the organization believes he's not the man to guide the franchise to the next step. Change on the roster feels more likely as the Rockets may need more starpower alongside Durant to capitalize on what's left of his career and can put together one of the better trade packages to make that happen. A new coach brings inconsistency to the group and Udoka has done a solid job since he took the helm in 2023. Unless there's something bigger going on behind the scenes, he should return to Houston's bench next season as the franchise hopes it can topple the Western Conference's giants.

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