As of now, the Houston Rockets do not own a first-round pick in the much anticipated 2026 NBA Draft. That asset was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the ill-fated 2019 trade involving Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. The Rockets do, however, possess a significant amount of future draft capital. If Houston […] The post Would the Rockets consider trading into the 2026 NBA Draft? appeared first on ClutchFans .
On Wednesday, The Athletic released its annual anonymous poll of NBA players, who are asked to vote on various league superlatives. Adding salt to the wound of the Rockets’ underwhelming 2025-26 season — which ended in a second consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs — Alperen Sengun topped the “most overrated” list with 12.3% of […] The post ‘Most overrated?’ After playoff exit, Rockets’ young core is in question appeared first on ClutchFans .
HOUSTON — With a pivotal offseason ahead, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka met with local media members on Monday for their “exit interviews.” There was much to address, considering how Houston’s 2025-26 season concluded in the first round of the playoffs and the team’s frustrating ups and downs throughout the […] The post Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka set Rockets’ 2026 offseason vision appeared first on ClutchFans .
After the final buzzer of Game 6 — and the final buzzer of the 2025-26 season for the Rockets — I stood near the locker rooms, waiting for players and coaches to enter one last time. Positioned between the home and visiting locker rooms at Toyota Center, I watched as both teams passed by simultaneously, […] The post What should Rockets learn from another first-round playoff exit? appeared first on ClutchFans .
For a second consecutive playoffs, the Houston Rockets had their season end with a terrible offensive showing in a home elimination game at Toyota Center. In 2025, it came in Game 7 at the hands of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. In 2026, it came in Friday’s Game 6 (recap) versus LeBron James […] The post What now? In latest home playoff dud, Lakers end Rockets’ season appeared first on ClutchFans .
At Sunday morning’s team shootaround ahead of Game 4, with the Rockets down 0-3 in the best-of-seven series and with an elimination game looming on their home floor, Alperen Sengun delivered a message to his team about belief and encouragement. The fifth-year Turkish big man — who often needed a translator during his first two […] The post Inspired by Alperen Sengun, Rockets stay alive versus Lakers appeared first on ClutchFans .
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said at practice Thursday that there would be “some tweaks” to his playoff rotation; however, the changes became more significant than planned. Around two hours before Friday’s Game 3 tipoff in Houston, Udoka announced that Kevin Durant would sit out again. The All-Star forward sprained his ankle late in Game […] The post Kevin Durant’s absence draws attention in Houston’s Game 3 loss appeared first on ClutchFans .
Following a pair of losses in Los Angeles that served as a microcosm of Houston’s offensive inconsistency, the Rockets returned home with a chance to protect home court and make their first-round series interesting. Despite the lackluster offensive performances, coming home to play LeBron James and the Lakers seemed like a clean slate. It felt like […] The post Rockets collapse late (again) as Lakers take 3-0 series lead appeared first on ClutchFans .
Though Kevin Durant (right knee contusion) did return to the lineup, the Rockets now face a 0–2 series deficit after another mediocre offensive showing in their Game 2 loss. Game 3 of the best-of-seven, first-round playoff series is Friday night inside Houston’s Toyota Center. Tipoff versus the Los Angeles Lakers is at 7:00 p.m. Central, […] The post Despite return of Kevin Durant, Rockets dig deeper series hole appeared first on ClutchFans .
The Rockets have been battle-tested by injuries all year, and just hours before tipoff of their second consecutive playoff appearance, they were dealt another blow. All-Star forward Kevin Durant was ruled out for Game 1 with a right knee contusion that head coach Ime Udoka said he suffered during practice on Wednesday. “Hopefully it’s a […] The post Kevin Durant rejoins Rockets’ lineup in Game 2 at Lakers appeared first on ClutchFans .