Houston Rockets Remain Biggest Offseason Winners so Far

The Houston Rockets were already in prime position to make a splash next season.

They finished as the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed, were working toward an extension with veteran guard Fred VanVleet, had the No. 10 pick at the NBA Draft and plenty of internal development on the horizon.

While all those things had them in the position to potentially contend next season, the organization instead turned itself into a bona fide near-title favorite in a matter of weeks.

The first and biggest domino was trading for all-timer Kevin Durant, a pairing that had long been speculated about but finally came to fruition ahead of the draft. The Rockets got off relatively cleanly in the trade, sending off No. 10 — which turned into Duke center Khaman Maluach — as well as longtime guard Jalen Green and veteran defender Dillon Brooks.

While they certainly had to off-load some assets, Durant projects to help the team plenty more in the next few seasons. He offers an offensive punch they simply didn’t have beforehand, as showcased by the team’s first-round loss to Golden State.

Next on the checklist was the re-signing of VanVleet, which came back at a relative bargain for Houston. The former NBA champ has been vital to the Rockets’ resurgence in the West, and will continue to be with another star-level running mate now added.

Finally, the team looked to free agency, where it was a sneaky winner in signing two-way wing Dorian Finney-Smith and a former Houston draftee in Clint Capela. The former will add yet another playable rotational win, and the latter another look in the front court alongside Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.

And if that wasn’t enough, Houston likely still isn’t done, reportedly looking into shipping off a young piece in Cam Whitmore. While it likely won’t net anything certain to help the team as early as next year, it could still bolster the future pick cache.

With their moves, the Rockets have jumped to the second-best odds to win the NBA Finals per most oddsmakers, only behind the now-reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, the team only needs to prove those oddsmakers right next season.