Houston Rockets 2025 Offseason Preview | Spotrac News Really good article. Pretty well lays out the options and doesn't over-criticize while being fair. Definitely worth the read! The Rockets spent years tearing down a contending-but-bloated team and rebuilding to get here. During that time the CBA changed and the NBA landscape with it. I thought the "Stone has to time the launch window" bit was pretty clever and devastatingly accurate. If we go all-in too soon and gut the drafted players to get a star, all of the rebuild could be for naught. That would be a brutality. Tanked so mercilessly, only to finally have a worthy roster, only to then trade half of it away for a player that doesn't bring us any additional success who would then probably just demand another trade out? Ouchy. And the other end of the launch window is becoming bloated with expensive role/rotation players. By somehow becoming limited by our own growth. I think I'd prefer that but still... it would get stale, and then you're just trading these guys later anyway but for less value. But the real problem? There isn't an obvious star to get. Nobody's trading 23 year old James Harden. Doncic was a backroom deal. Your known options are past prime Giannis, who would gut the team. Booker, same story. Jaylen Brown probably not quite as asset-expensive but still on a max deal and won't be so expensive because he's not as good as the previous two names. Or KD? I mean... well past his due date and still under control by a team that wants to pretend like it's 2015 instead of 2025. And then there's questions that are worth asking... does the cost of the star outweigh the team abilities to continue improving? Does that star's abilities outweigh the potential growth of these drafted players? The Rockets have embodied a all-for-one, one-for-all mentality. How does that work with a star player? Does the new CBA really demand that you develop internally and not just fling assets around (again, like it's 2015 not 2025)? I think the most likely scenario is KD and my top offer is Fred(option accepted) and Jock. I'm not trading Jabari or 10 or one extra ounce to them. I'm just fine saying no thanks, let us know if you can send us more assets to send your picks back. Like a 3rd team as we did for Bridges/Nets trade. Other than that? With Adams back on board I think it's down to Fred to accept his demotion. His leadership is the most valuable trait and by a wide margin because on the court he's been pretty bad. Reed's role here... mans gotta come into this season ready to rock and roll. If he plays like he did last year I'd almost guarantee he's gone by the deadline. Something not mentioned much is that his club options start next season at 10MM plus each year. You're not paying that for a 3rd string hopeful on a team that's going to get short on money. And then like, BPA and hope it's a shooter at 10 like the article mentions. I'd be thrilled to get Maluach at 10 too. Truly, I think the player we most need to move off of is Dillon Brooks. And I hate that because he's my villain. I mean, what are you getting back though? Maybe a pick and a bad contract to burn. But that opens the door for someone else so... it's probably necessary. On top of that it isn't the star deal either. Maybe the answer is to pick your star from within and make several smaller deals to retool in that frame. So what does it look like in my mind? Probably a run it back year, knowing the bell tolls for thee in 2026. The launch window is officially open and unfortunately is only this season to get it off the ground for real. Amen - Jalen - Dillon - Jabari - Alpe Fred - Reed/Cam - Williams - Tari - Steve O Holiday - Reed/Cam - Roddy? - Unc? - #10? And you're hunting that mid-season deal. That real evolution of the roster. In the event you make it to 2026, let's just say marginal improvement everywhere, maybe 50 wins and a 2nd round exit with decisions to be made... What I'd like to see the very most is a starting 5 that features Amen, Tari and Jabari. Maybe it's Reed that fills the guard spot? Maybe Maluach does fall to 10 and becomes your starting big? Maybe Cam gets it together and becomes your starting 2 guard with Amen? That Amen-Cam-Tari-Jabari summer league line was devastating. This is all just projecting at this point but I do believe that roster above is what we see next season. That and we'll be a little less patient hunting for a deal and more ready to declare who is who. I think our patience has paid off immensely...and unfortunately, we're running out of rope.
