Four months after a 52-win regular season ended in a Game 7 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets gathered at a players-only minicamp in Nassau, Bahamas, expecting to launch a title run built around newly acquired forward Kevin Durant. Instead, a non-contact play during pickup games changed everything.
VanVleet’s ACL tear upends preseason plans
Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet—tasked with steering a roster headlined by Durant and a trio of prized prospects (Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard)—tore the ACL in his right knee late in September. According to forward Jeff Green, teammates initially thought VanVleet had rolled an ankle before medical tests confirmed the season-ending injury.
VanVleet’s absence, followed in December by Steven Adams’ season-ending ankle surgery, left Houston without its two most experienced locker-room voices.
Durant performs, but chemistry suffers
Durant appeared in 78 games, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, yet team insiders said younger players wrestled with the star’s “moodiness” in a season lacking veteran buffers. The situation grew more complicated when direct messages from an X account—allegedly operated by Durant—criticized Sengun’s defense and questioned Jabari Smith Jr.’s decision-making. Players discussed the matter after All-Star weekend, and club officials treated the posts as authentic, though Durant publicly dismissed them as “Twitter nonsense.”
Playoff exit to short-handed Lakers
Houston, the West’s second seed for a second straight year, opened the postseason against a Los Angeles Lakers squad missing two starters. The Lakers relied on Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and 41-year-old LeBron James, yet still raced to a 3-0 advantage. Durant, slowed by knee and ankle problems, did not appear after Game 2, and the Rockets’ eighth-ranked regular-season offense sputtered.
Head coach Ime Udoka publicly challenged his team to “grow up” following a Game 3 collapse. Houston extended the series to six games, but poor shooting—including Sheppard’s 4-for-19 performance in the finale—sealed a first-round defeat Friday night.
Harden reunion twice considered, twice rejected
Sources said the franchise debated but ultimately declined to pursue former MVP James Harden in both 2023 free agency and again after the LA Clippers started 6-21 this season. Club officials feared a ball-dominant guard would stunt the development of Sengun, Thompson and Sheppard.
Front office stays committed to young core
Despite the early exit, high-ranking executives told ESPN they still view Sengun, Sheppard, Thompson, Smith and forward Tari Eason—a restricted free agent who declined an extension worth roughly $100 million—as a group capable of contending for the next decade. Udoka and Durant, who holds a $46 million player option for 2027-28, remain central to that vision.
General manager Rafael Stone acknowledged roster needs—most notably three-point shooting, after the team finished 24th in makes and 28th in attempts—and said Houston will be “opportunistic” in a trade market that could feature stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Donovan Mitchell. The Rockets own multiple future first-round picks from Phoenix, Dallas and Brooklyn but prefer a sustainable build rather than a costly blockbuster.
With VanVleet and Adams expected back from injuries at age 32, and a young nucleus still learning under postseason pressure, Houston faces an offseason of hard decisions and heightened expectations—but insists the long-term plan remains intact.
Source: ESPN.com
