Rockets’ Schedule Ranked Third-Easiest per Tankathon

The impending Rockets’ season is one of the more anticipated in some time, with the team officially entering contender status this offseason.

The front office, led by decision-maker Rafael Stone, has done work around the fringes in building one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Though adding superstar Kevin Durant in a trade with the Suns has grown excitement more than anything else.

With the NBA’s official schedule release days ago, Houston’s 2025-26 season finally feels inbound. 

Per Tankathon — a website Rockets’ fans have become familiar with over the last half-decade due to their frequenting the top of the NBA Draft — Houston has the third-easiest schedule in the league. The team has been on the other end of the draft spectrum before, but is projected to land the No. 27 pick next year, which would convey to OKC.

The full strength of schedule list looks at every team’s schedule and calculates projected winning percentage for those 82 opponents, ranking them in descending order based on difficulty. The Rockets came in third from the bottom, only being ousted by the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.

While some fans would like slightly more trial by fire, an easier schedule would certainly be welcome news to the Rockets themselves. While playing stiff competition could better prepare them for the postseason, they’ll face plenty across 82 games, and would much rather earn a better seeding.

The tougher part of Houston’s schedule is highlighted by three matchups against OKC — including the season opener — three games against the Nuggets, two against the Knicks and Magic in the East, as well as three bouts with the Lakers. 

On the easier side will be four games against last year’s league-worst Utah Jazz, two games each against the Wizards, Nets, Hornets and Bulls, as well as four against Portland.

While it can be somewhat hard to project a team’s season outcome this far out, some of those squads are certain to fall among the NBA’s best and worst.

Houston will still have to be sharp to earn a top seed in the Western Conference, especially with the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Lakers and plenty more floating around. But they should be well-positioned given their young core and deep roster of veterans.

The Rockets open up their preseason with a bout against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 6, and will face off in the season opener against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 21 for ring night.