Rockets Front Office Receives Third-Place Ranking

When the Houston Rockets take the court each night, they’re typically going to be one of the league’s best teams. They play hard on defense, they strive to move the ball and they hustle hard.

Oh, and they rebound. Especially on the offensive glass, as they lead the league in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points.

The Rockets are also going to hit their long-range shots (and they won’t take that many, either).

These Rockets look much different than they did three years ago. No one could’ve imagined.

When the old regime was ushered out and the new regime was inserted into the fold, the team lacked direction. And guidance.

And young talent. And draft capital.

Quite the definition of a bare cupboard.

The team was forced to tank.

(Or rebuild, if you prefer that terminology).

But even that doesn’t always work. The draft is a crapshoot.

There’s no such thing as a can’t-miss prospect (although the phrase is used all the time).

The Charlotte Hornets have been rebuilding for over two decades. And drafting high essentially every year.

There’s no safe haven for bad organizations.

Good organizations are able to successfully restart. And although the Rockets went through some dark times (59-177 from 2020-23), they set themselves up well for the future,. In fact, the Rockets’ brass was ranked as the NBA’s third-best front office by The Athletic.

The writer, Sam Amick, explained his calculus.

 “The choice to trade for Kevin Durant in the summer was the splashiest of their many moves, as it signaled a belief that the time was now to go for it all. But it’s not as if they gave up the farm to get him (along with big man Clint Capela), as they sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, a 2025 first-round pick (Khaman Maluach was taken 10th) and five second-rounders to Phoenix in the historic seven-team deal.

These latest moves have been additive, with the Rockets having built this post-James Harden era core by way of the draft.

“They have drafted well, built a deep team in a tough Western Conference while managing tax aprons,” said one executive who voted the Rockets second. “(They) hired a good coach and built an overall team identity, then added KD for cheap.

“From where they were only a few years ago, they have done a good job turning it around.”

Said another, who also voted the Rockets second: “High-end talent, a willingness to be bold, (and) good asset management.”

The only two teams that ranked ahead of Houston was the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, who have each won titles in recent years.

The ranking was based on a vote-system, which saw the Rockets receive one first-place vote, six second-place votes, six third-place votes, and five fourth-place votes.