Multiple Former, One Active Rocket Listed Among Hall-of-Fame 'Locks'

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has received a lot of criticism from sports fans for its increased leniency for inducted players. Basketball's ultimate fraternity has had somewhat of a blackmark on its legacy due to the amount of talent, or lack thereof, that it lets in.

With that being said, however, that shouldn't take away from the amount of elite talent the game has seen and continues to see in recent years. The NBA, throughout the 2010s and 2020s, has grown tremendously, featuring more prowess than ever before. This generation of hoopers should see way more players enter the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later.

With this year's Hall of Fame class recently getting inducted, The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov tiered a list of active NBA players with the best shot at making it. Multiple Houston Rockets alumni, along with one active player, were listed.

The one active listed is, of course, Kevin Durant. The newly-acquired star has a resume unlike most, with an MVP, multiple championships and stats resembling one of the most talented scorers basketball has ever seen. Durant making the Hall of Fame is a lock.

Other former Rockets in the same category include James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul. While Westbrook and Paul didn't spend their primes in Houston, Harden's peak years were when he was carrying the Rockets through playoff runs. He averaged an incredible 29.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game with the organization, but is still going strong at age 36.

"Harden found a way to once again rejuvenate his career with the LA Clippers," Vorkunov wrote. "He made Third Team All-NBA and finished 10th in MVP voting this past season at 35 years old. His career is almost unimpeachable, aside from the persistent playoff shortcomings."

Westbrook's consistent production as one of the best all-around guards ever, along with an MVP in 2017, makes him a lock for the Hall, while Paul has similar accolades (minus the MVP).

Outside of that tier, no former or active Rocket is on the list. However, the hope is that one day, another homegrown Houston player reaches such a status, adding to the long list of Rockets alumni in the Hall of Fame.

The organization has 14 former players in the fraternity, but none more memorable than Hakeem Olajuwon, Calvin Murphy and even Yao Ming. It meant more that they were drafted to the franchise.

Houston already has a young core in place, ready to take the league by storm. Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and more highlight a group of players with immense potential, and they're already on their way to stardom. Perhaps the next Rocket in the Hall of Fame (after this generation) will be one of them.