May 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) meets with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Rockets Cited as NBA's 'Deepest Team' per The Athletic

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Anthony Duckett | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 7:00 AM ET

In each of his first two seasons with the Houston Rockets, Ime Udoka has generally opted for a top-heavy rotation, doling out at least 20 minutes to the same seven players: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, amd Tari Eason.

In the Rockets' 2025 opening round of the postseason, center Steven Adams cracked the 20-minute club in place of Eason, as Udoka opted for the double-big lineup against the Golden State Warriors.

Moving forward, the Rockets' rotation will look drastically different, as Green and Brooks are no longer in the fold, as the pair was shipped to the desert for Kevin Durant. The Rockets also added Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie, and Clint Capela this offseason.

The franchise’s flurry of change earned them a positive grade from The Athletic's Kelly Iko, who cited them as the deepest team in the association.

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

"The acquisition of Kevin Durant by a 52-win team without cratering depth was enough to cap a strong Rockets offseason, but the veteran additions of Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela on team-friendly contracts put Houston in rare summer air. The organization was also able to retain key rotational members Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr. without handcuffing themselves financially — and the Rockets now stand as arguably the deepest team in basketball. This team has shifted from a patient rebuild to an aggressive championship push in fewer than three seasons and now has the personnel to play any style that head coach Ime Udoka wants, any time. Houston’s time is now."

The Rockets earned an A grade, making them one of just five teams to earn such a grade, joining the likes of the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks.

Houston certainly has depth, but it's mainly at the wing and center positions. However, their guard room is fairly skim, as VanVleet is the only one that played at least 20 minutes last season.

Second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who the franchise selected with the third pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, is expected to land a major role in the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Houston will have a major size advantage, with three centers and the 6-foot-11 Durant and Smith. Houston also has a great blend of youth and experience, and their young prospects now all have postseason experience.

One major question remains: will they be able to dethrone the Oklahoma City Thunder?

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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