Rockets’ Roster Improvement Could Come via Several Avenues

Houston will likely be a better team next season, be it through internal development, the draft or even trades.

Jun 24, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone reacts during a | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Despite Alperen Sengun narrowly missing out on the NBA’s Most Improved Award, the Rockets as a whole might’ve won something better (if it existed): the league’s most-improved team.

Last offseason it was the signings of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and some internal development that saw Houston shoot to a 19-win improvement in the 2023-24 regular season.

This offseason, though, the team can yet again improve its roster. And there will be several different avenues to do so.

Similarly to its last few seasons, the Rockets will again boast one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. While it doesn’t have No. 2 or No. 4, the likely ninth or tenth pick is sure to net them a player than can help fill gaps in the roster, be that with 3-point shooting or rim-protection.

Even better, it’s young core — comprised of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason — are all 22 or younger, and some, if not all, are sure to see improvement on their games in the offseason.

Those things alone, along with getting Eason and Steven Adams back from injury, should have Houston improving on 41 wins. Even in a tough Western Conference.

And if it doesn’t Houston has amassed the talent to stay active on the trade market, which it’s done in the past few seasons.

The franchise might not need to make a big splash — maybe a first rounder for a player to plug a hole, a la Adams. But it’s accumulated enough intriguing young faculty that could fetch a pretty penny on the market, and some of it does overlap.

Regardless, Houston has options. And that’s a great spot to be in coming off a year of improvement.

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