The Houston Rockets' Lack of Nationally Televised Games Will be a Thing of the Past

The Houston Rockets have been the talk of the offseason, making one splashy move after another since being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The most significant move, of course, was the Rockets finalizing a trade to bring future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to Houston.

That move, along with the signings of Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, has moved the Rockets to the top of most people's list of championship contenders. With Durant now on the team and young stars like Amen Thompson and All-Star Alperen Sengun, the Rockets have become a must-see team next season.

That is a stark contrast to where the Rockets have been since the departure of James Harden. During the Harden era, the Rockets were seen frequently on national television with Harden being near the top of MVP consideration year in and year out.

When Harden demanded a trade out of Houston, the Rockets became an afterthought when it came to the national media. As each rebuilding season passed, they became more of a punchline than a team that the NBA would showcase. That all started to change when Ime Udoka took over the team after the 2023 season.

The Rockets improved by a league-best 19 wins in 2023-24 but still only played in a few nationally televised games. They were only scheduled for three games on TNT and ESPN for the 2024-25 season, but were flexed into more games as they continued to defy the odds by finishing with one of the best records in the NBA.

Now, after a successful regular season and the first playoff appearance in five years, the Rockets are on everyone's radar. Factor in all the moves made this offseason, and the expectation is that the Rockets will appear on national TV more next season than they have the last five seasons combined.

We will have a better idea the closer we get to the new season, but the Rockets have all the ingredients of a team most of the basketball community wants to see every week. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are staples on national TV, but they may have to make room for the newest NBA darlings, the Houston Rockets.