Four Current and Former Rockets Cited as Hall of Fame Locks

The Rockets have been one of the league’s best teams over the handful of years, seeing great success in the James Harden era, and quickly undergoing a rebuild that will see them as a contender next season.

With that, they’ve seen numerous all-time talents on their squad, some of which could see lifetime accolades sooner rather than later.

Per a list made by ESPN days ago, the Rockets have four either current or former locks for the Naismith Hall of Fame: Harden, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant as the only current player.

Harden would be the only one of the four seen as a true Rocket. Traded for in 2012 after a Finals appearance with OKC, he saw a nine-year career with Houston, nabbing an MVP and helping the team to several deep postseason runs. He’s one of the organization’s best-ever players, and stands to be a lock for the basketball Hall of Fame. 

Both Paul and Westbrook — all-time point guards with strikingly different games — flanked Harden at various points. Paul was vital to the team making the Western Conference Finals, eventually falling to the dynastic Golden State Warriors. Westbrook didn’t see quite the same postseason success, but played a season with Houston, averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. 

They, too, will be easy locks for the hall, though not necessarily first thought of as Houston Rockets. 

Durant is the only current Rocket on the list, though he’s yet to play a single game for the squad. He was traded for in the days leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, and is expected to be potentially the most vital piece toward the team’s contention next season.