Did the Rockets Have the NBA's Best Offseason?

The Houston Rockets' return to postseason play in 2024-25 made for one of the league's best storylines. Everyone loves a good Cinderella story. 

The Rockets were able to mark an official end to their rebuild and were led by homegrown talent, as Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Jalen Green were all lottery draft picks for the franchise, while Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason were also Rockets draft selections.

But making the postseason and being on the same tier as the best teams in the league are two different things. More work needed to be done in the summer.

The postseason series against the Golden State Warriors made the team's warts all the more visible.  Green, the team's leading scorer, only scored in double figures three times in seven games.

Kevin Durant entered the fold, for a fraction of what it would normally cost for his services. Houston’s brass also added defensive-centered wings in Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie, while adding fan favorite Clint Capela, which was a bit of a head-scratcher. 

The Rockets also inked Smith and Steven Adams to long-term deals. With all of the Rockets' activity, it's worth asking whether they had the best offseason. 

According to FanSided's Ian Levy, the answer is yes.

"The Houston Rockets won the offseason, and it's not just because they landed Kevin Durant. They also removed Jalen Green and his offensive inconsistency and found an ideal replacement for Dillon Brooks in Dorian Finney-Smith. Clint Capela may turn out to be a minor move considering how his role has declined over the past few years in Atlanta, but he's a better rim protector than anyone else they had on the roster and a great third big to keep in reserve with Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams, depending on the matchup.

This roster still needs big leaps from their young players — Şengün, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. — to get on the tier of the Nuggets and Thunder. But, considering where they started and where they are now, the Rockets likely opened their championship window more than any other team in the league."

Levy makes great points, although the Rockets failed to add additional ballhandling and shooting. If Reed Sheppard is able to provide this, this may ultimately not be an issue.

But that's a big unknown. 

And even if he is, the Rockets will still need more shooting. 

But if the question is just about which team had the best offseason, it's hard to disagree with Levy's assessment.