Potential Cap Space Challenges the Rockets Could Face Next Season

The Houston Rockets have reloaded their roster to what many expect to be a championship contender this season. After a 52-30 2024-25 season, the Rockets had some questions going into the offseason, and answered almost all of them with major acquisitions.

Houston now has a face of the team in Kevin Durant, backed up by returners and newcomers such as Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela. The most positive part is that general manager Rafael Stone managed to do all of this while remaining under the first apron. In the modern NBA, the apron levels are death sentences to teams' futures.

While the Rockets are under the first apron and will not face penalties on trades and draft picks, they still have some challenges to navigate this season when it comes to cap space. What are those challenges?

Rockets Hard-Capped at First Tax Apron

The new collective bargaining agreement has all sorts of restrictions and scenarios that can keep teams from spending more money, and this offseason, Houston put itself in a position where the organization is hard-capped at the first tax apron ($195,945,000).

The Rockets did so by acquiring Capela via sign-and-trade. The veteran center was sent to Houston after a historic seven-team deal was finalized that also got Durant to his new team from the Phoenix Suns. This move triggered the hard cap at the first apron.

The Rockets are unlikely to exceed the first apron after the moves they made this offseason. They have just under $1.3 million in space, but their roster is already filled out. It's more of a thing to note than a challenge for the organization this season.

Multiple Extensions Loom for Houston

With their salary cap space in mind, the Rockets also have to navigate their potential extensions for the near future. Durant, the prized possession of the offseason who preferred to sign an extension with the team, is eligible for a two-year, $122 million deal after this season. He has been eligible to sign it since July 6.

Tari Eason is another player up for extension, as if he doesn't get it done before the October 20 deadline for 2022 draftees, he'll go into restricted free agency in 2026.

Houston avoided this issue last season with Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, so it would be wise to lock up its two-way bench piece like it did with Jabari Smith Jr., who was recently given an extension.

The challenge will be navigating the new money awarded to Sengun, Smith, and eventually Durant and Eason. There isn't an infinite amount of cash to go around, and the Rockets could end up making some budget cuts to the roster to avoid the apron levels.

No-Trade Clauses

According to Hoops Rumors, three Rockets players have implied no-trade clauses this season, which means they can veto any trade they're involved in. Those players are not stars such as Sengun and Kevin, rather veterans Fred VanVleet, Jae-Sean Tate, and Aaron Holiday.