Offseason Power Rankings: Houston Rockets and the Southwest Division

Key Additions: Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney Smith, Clint Capela

Key Departures: Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore

Despite clinching the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season, Houston wound up with an early exit in the first round of the playoffs. It was clear that the Rockets needed some offensive firepower if they wanted to reach an NBA title soon and general manager Rafael Stone put the league on notice when he sent over the Phoenix Suns a trade package featuring the Rockets' 2025 No. 10 pick and former first-rounder Jalen Green in exchange for one of the game's best scorers, Kevin Durant.

Not just adding Durant to the fray, Houston also signed Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year deal, worth over $50 million, and brought back Clint Capela on a team-friendly contract after a five-year run in Atlanta. The team parted ways with Cam Whitmore as they found themselves loaded on wings, bringing up the Rockets' biggest negative this offseason, which was the return of two second-rounders for a player whose potential was still to be seen.

Biggest Question: Will there be enough shooters or too many big men?

Houston certainly played their cards right, adding Durant and Finney-Smith with both wings shooting over 40% behind the arc last season. As a team, the Rockets completed 35.5% last season from the three, ranking No. 21 in the league, so shooting clearly needed to be addressed. This made the addition of Clint Capela a head-scratcher for Houston, who already had Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams signed, plus N'Faly Dante on a two-way deal. Another center was likely the last thing on Rockets fans' wishlists this summer.

Reed Sheppard is certain to see an increased role this season because of this, and after a strong Summer League, he may be ready for the task. Outside of Sheppard, not too many players have been deemed sharpshooters on the roster, but Houston could be banking on a leap from Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr. offensively.

2. San Antonio Spurs (Last Season Division Finish: Fourth Place)

Key Additions: Dylan Harper, Kelly Olynyk, Luke Kornet

Key Departures: Chris Paul

Featuring back-to-back NBA Rookie of the Year award winners with Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, the Spurs found themselves in the driver's seat once again to add another high-profile rookie, selecting Dylan Harper No. 2 in the 2025 NBA Draft. Some would question why San Antonio needed another ball handler despite having De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. But it was clear that adding the 6-foot-6 guard gave the Spurs another offensive weapon to create mismatches like many of their other former draft picks in the past several years.

The front office also added two big men to their squad, bringing in Luke Kornet via free agency and trading for Kelly Olynyk at the start of July. This might not seem like a big deal now because neither player is a household name, but adding both players will allow Wembanyama to stretch the floor and open up his offensive game, after an effective 50.1% completion outside of the paint this past season.

Biggest Question: Will the six-year playoff drought come to an end this season?

Loaded with talent, San Antonio will hope to end the second-longest active playoff drought at six years. De'Aaron Fox, whom the Spurs traded for last season, is expected to be a primary scoring option for the team alongside their cornerstone 7-footer. In the five games that the two played together before Wembanyama's injury, both players averaged 21 points apiece, with Fox adding 7.8 assists and Victor 12 rebounds. However, the Spurs still posted a 2-3 record in those five games.

With the departure of Chris Paul, Stephon Castle should see an increase in minutes, as he has proven to be a solid scoring option on any given night. Newcomers Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are not expected to make immediate splashes, but they can still contribute to this team. The remaining cast will need to be on their A-game if they hope to end this playoff dry spell; if not, players might find themselves on new teams by the deadline.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Season Division Finish: Second Place)

Key Additions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward

Key Departures: Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard

It seems like this summer, the Memphis Grizzlies took a step backward from the team that was once a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. Building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis decided to part ways with Desmond Bane in exchange for veteran shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a load of draft capital, including four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.

They'd also added sharpshooting free agent Ty Jerome, giving the team a viable scoring option off the bench, and drafted a physical shooter in Cedric Coward. The 6-foot-6 wing has the potential to work his way into the starting lineup this season, but will likely begin his rookie campaign as a backup to Jaylen Wells, who is projected to replace Bane.

Biggest Question: Can Ja Morant carry this roster to the playoffs?

Maybe my harsh judgment of this team is a bit premature; we are still months away from the season, so anything can still happen, but as it stands, this roster does not look playoff caliber without Morant. The 26-year-old guard has yet to eclipse more than 67 games in a season, as injuries and suspensions have derailed Morant's path atop the league with some of the best young talent.

Since his arrival, the former Murray State star has put the Grizzlies in playoff contention multiple times but has suffered an injury on every run, leaving Memphis handicapped against star-caliber teams. A healthy season and maybe playoff run from Morant could put him back on track as one of the league's premier players.

4. Dallas Mavericks (Last Season Division Finish: Third Place)

Key Additions: D'Angelo Russell

Key Departures: Spencer Dinwiddie

As mentioned, the biggest storyline this offseason for the Dallas Mavericks was their acquisition of Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Deemed a franchise player out of the gate, Flagg's usage in his first season will be interesting to watch. He is projected to start at small forward for the Mavericks this season, but just how much leash will the 6-foot-9 rookie be given following an elite one-and-done collegiate year?

Aside from drafting Flagg, the Mavericks only made one key addition in free agency, adding 29-year-old veteran D'Angelo Russell to start in place of a rehabbing Kyrie Irving. Russell has made a career out of being a serviceable guard, so if he can help coast the Mavericks into a decent record before Irving returns, then this signing was a home run. The majority of the Mavericks' season right now rests on the health of Anthony Davis. If the big man can have a durable year, then Dallas could once again be in the mix to compete for a playoff spot.

Biggest Question: Can the Mavericks stay healthy once Kyrie is back?

Irving will be coming off his second straight season, logging under 60 games for Dallas, so the questions of his health will continue to be a factor this season, even when he returns. If the team can manage a positive record while Kyrie Irving is out to begin the season, it certainly sets Dallas up for success, especially in a loaded Western Conference.

Injuries are always a plague on any team or player's career, but the Mavericks need durability out of both Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (once he is back) if they want to be a team that is competing in the playoffs. Cooper Flagg's adjustment to the NBA's physicality is something to pay attention to as well, as the Mavericks hope to make Flagg a premier player in his first season.

5. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Season Division Finish: Last Place)

Key Additions: Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen

Key Departures: CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown

One of the most interesting teams to watch this season will be the New Orleans Pelicans as the franchise continues to build its way into a potential playoff contender. The direction of the team is still unclear, as they not only traded up ten spots to draft Jeremiah Fears No. 7 overall, but they also traded for Jordan Poole, another young and ball-dominant guard to play alongside starting point guard Dejounte Murray. The influx of young talent is certainly not a bad risk to take, but giving away an unprotected 2026 first-rounder in the process of loading up on guards just does not seem like a smart plan on the Pelicans' end.

Whether or not Zion Williamson can stay on the floor this season is also a big story to watch for New Orleans, as he comes off another under-40 game season. One of the worst moves they made this summer was replacing Kelly Olynyk with Kevon Looney, as the non-shooting center just adds to a room full of non-shooting big men.

Biggest Question: Who is going to be the Pelicans' shining light?

Between Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson, and Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans have a plethora of options that can be the star player of this team. Each one is good for 25-30 points on any given night, but with how ball-dominant everyone is, it will be interesting to see how the plyers co-exist.

One thing is certain when looking at this Pelicans team, and that is points will be rolling in as they are loaded with several players who can go on hot streaks of scoring. However, just which one of the Pelicans players is going to emerge as the top dog amongst the rest?