Will Next Season Be The Peak Of This New Rockets Era?

The Houston Rockets are ready to compete for a championship after a several-year process that included some of the least competitive teams in franchise history. Now, the Rockets believe they have a legitimate chance to earn the franchise's third title.

However, there's a chance next season could be Houston's best opportunity to win with the current iteration.

The current version of the Rockets is defined by a group of young players, complementary veterans, and a certified superstar in Kevin Durant.

Durant is one of the major keys behind Houston's contention chances. The Rockets don't yet know if one of their young players can become a first-option scorer on a championship-caliber team. Alperen Sengun has the most offensive talent of all the young players, and Amen Thompson has the best physical gifts of any player on the team.

However, neither is proven as a superstar-caliber player who could potentially be one of the top 5-7 players during the postseason.

Durant's addition was meant to address this missing piece for the Rockets. The former MVP is a proven commodity in the league. Despite losing some of his earlier athleticism, he remains a consistent scorer who can provide 25 or more points nearly any time he steps onto an NBA court.

The Rockets are hoping that Durant's skills mesh well with the young stars, but they also need the role players and veterans to contribute to the team's success.

Currently, the Rockets are in a prime position to receive significant contributions from up and down the roster. Houston has lottery draft picks like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason bringing impact defense and effort to the team. Fred VanVleet is the team's floor general, taking care of the ball and distributing to scorers at a high level.

The addition of players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela helps the Rockets have a well-rounded team that runs deep in comparison to some of the league's other contenders.

The pieces seem aligned to give the Rockets a legitimate chance at competing next season. However, some of those pieces may not be able to stick around for the long term in the years following this season.

VanVleet is currently one of the team's highest-paid players. Houston is hoping either Thompson or Reed Sheppard can take over his role in the future, as his impact on the salary is distributed to other key players on the team. Durant is expected to extend his Houston contract until his retirement, but how competitive will the team be at that point when Thompson and Sengun will be the undisputed best players on the team?

There's a chance their best opportunity to win could come this season. There are still higher heights to reach for individual players, but the Rockets have all the pieces in place to contend next season. It's no guarantee things will look the same in the following season and beyond.