Houston Rockets Wiretap

The Houston Rockets have signaled to rival teams that Amen Thompson is the only player on their roster who is practically untouchable on their roster, sources tell Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.

Thompson will become eligible for a contract extension this offseason with the two sides expected to continue talks after the draft.

The Rockets aren't actively shopping the likes of Alperen Sengun or Kevin Durant, but are expressing more of a willingness to listen than in the past. Houston had a disappointing first round exit to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Houston would like to re-sign Tari Eason in restricted free agency, while Fred VanVleet is also expected to return either on his $25 million player option or on a longer contract. VanVleet tore his ACL last September and missed the entire season. 

Dorian Finney-Smith is a logical trade candidate after signing a four-year, $53 million deal last offseason. Finney-Smith has received trade interest this offseason after having a difficult initial season with the Rockets returning from left ankle surgery.

The Boston Celtics have emerged with potential trade interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo, which would almost certainly mean Jaylen Brown would be outgoing to team beyond the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks have been three teams typically broached as having interest in Brown should he become available. Brown will turn 30 in October and has $183 million over the next three seasons remaining on his existing contract.

Brown is coming off the best season of his career as he led the Celtics to the second best record in the Eastern Conference despite playing most of the season without Jayson Tatum.

If the Bucks trade Antetokounmpo to the Celtics, they're not expected to have interest in keeping Brown for themselves as they're prioritizing future draft capital and young players as they rebuild with the trade of their two-time MVP.

The Blazers own multiple future draft picks originating with the Bucks, which puts them in a unique position to participate in an Antetokounmpo trade.

The Rockets would afford Brown an opportunity to reunite with his former head coach in Ime Udoka.

Brown is also a native of Atlanta, which have created links to the Hawks over the years.

The Houston Rockets revealed new uniforms on Wednesday that draw directly from the franchise's iconic red-and-yellow look worn during their back-to-back NBA championship seasons in 1994 and 1995. The redesigned kits uniforms debut during the 2026-27 season.

The updated uniforms restore the "Championship Yellow" trim across Houston's home white, road red and alternate black jerseys, reviving the color scheme associated with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon's title-winning teams. Pinstripes are also featured across all three versions.

Rockets vice chairman Patrick Fertitta connected the redesign directly to sustained fan demand.

"We heard our fans... ketchup and mustard is back!" said Fertitta. "From the time my family bought the team in 2017, we've heard from countless fans about how deeply these colors are tied to memories of Rockets basketball. We wanted to create something that celebrates the generations of fans who built Rockets basketball while inspiring the next generation of Rockets fans."

The uniforms also incorporate the "Dunkstronaut" logo, which the franchise describes as blending nostalgia with innovation while connecting the club to Houston's identity as Space City.

The white and black jerseys will display "Houston" across the chest, while the red road uniform will read "Rockets."

The Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers are all believed to have "legitimate trade interest" in Jaylen Brown should the Boston Celtics make him available.

Brown has three years and $183 million remaining on his five-year, $304 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics. Brown can sign a two-year extension this offseason. Brown cannot become a free agent until 2029 and is represented by Jason Glushon.

Brown was a Second Team All-NBA selection this season as the Celtics outperformed expectations in the regular season before their seven-game elimination in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown helped keep the Celtics near the top of the Eastern Conference despite not getting Jayson Tatum back from his Achilles tear until March along with the exits of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet. 

The Hawks, Rockets and Blazers each have a number of tradeable first round picks that could create an enticing trade package for the Celtics. Boston has also been linked with Giannis Antetokounmpo and sending out Brown in a trade could see him go to one of those teams instead of the Milwaukee Bucks, who will presumably look toward a rebuild. 

The NBA announced their 2025-26 All-NBA Teams on Sunday.

All-NBA First Team

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
• Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs
• Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
• Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons

All-NBA Second Team

• Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics
• Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
• Kevin Durant - Houston Rockets
• Kawhi Leonard - LA Clippers
• Donovan Mitchell - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-NBA Third Team

• Jalen Duren - Detroit Pistons
• Chet Holmgren - Oklahoma City Thunder
• Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
• Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers
• Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets

Kevin Durant and head coach Ime Udoka are both expected to remain with the Houston Rockets despite a first-round playoff elimination. However, team sources tell ESPN the franchise views its young core as the foundation of a decade-long contention window rather than a supporting cast built around Durant's timeline.

"We aren't thinking, 'We've got to win now because we're in KD's window,'" a high-ranking team source told ESPN. "We are hyperfocused on our young core. Our five guys have a chance to win a lot of games together for a long time. We don't want to make the mistake other teams have of giving up on guys too soon. We want a 10-year run."

Durant, 37, averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 78 regular season games this season. He holds a two-year contract extension that includes a $46 million player option for 2027-28. Knee and ankle injuries limited him to partial duty in Houston's six-game series loss to the Lakers, where he was unable to return after Game 2.

His absence exposed the team's offensive limitations. Udoka acknowledged the gap Durant's injuries created.

"It's nights like this where guys are struggling, you want a 25-, 26-point scorer with his efficiency and the way he does it to avoid some of these nights when other guys are struggling," Udoka said after the elimination loss.

The partnership, however, carried off-court complications. Team sources told ESPN that Durant's moodiness wore on Houston's younger players throughout the season, a dynamic worsened by the absence of VanVleet and Steven Adams, whose season also ended due to injury, as stabilizing influences in the locker room.

Those tensions grew more pronounced following allegations that Durant had criticized Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. through a burner account on X during All-Star weekend. Durant addressed teammates in what sources described as a team discussion rather than a formal meeting, and the matter moved forward without a public resolution.

Multiple high-level team sources told ESPN that Udoka's role is also secure heading into next season. Houston's priorities this offseason include improving three-point shooting, the team ranked 24th in makes and 28th in attempts, negotiating a new contract with restricted free agent Tari Eason and determining a path forward with VanVleet and Adams, both 32, returning from significant injuries.

Despite mutual interest and a clear need at point guard following Fred VanVleet's torn ACL, the Houston Rockets declined to pursue a reunion with James Harden this season, prioritizing the development of their young core over a short-term fix, sources told ESPN.

Harden's representatives contacted Houston after the Los Angeles Clippers stumbled to a 6-21 start, gauging interest in a potential return to the franchise that originally built around him before trading him to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021.

VanVleet's season-ending knee injury, suffered during a players-only mini-camp in the Bahamas in late September, had left Houston without its primary playmaker and locker room anchor. 

The Rockets declined despite the obvious need and the way Harden had maintained his All-Star status. The Rockets didn't want the presence of Harden on the floor to hinder the development of Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.

"We're not really looking for a heliocentric player, as great as James still is," one team source told ESPN. "We want to develop Reed, we want to develop Amen and we want the ball in Alpy's hands."

A second source was equally direct.

"We weren't going to put the ball in [Harden's] hands, so why would you trade for James if you're not going to give him the ball?"

This was not the first time Houston passed on a Harden reunion. In 2023, the Rockets chose to sign VanVleet to a three-year, $130 million contract rather than pursue Harden after he failed to secure a maximum extension with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The decision to bypass Harden this season reverberated throughout the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Sheppard, Thompson and Sengun each produced tantalizing moments alongside inexplicable ones, with poor shot selection and decision-making contributing directly to losses.

Harden was ultimately traded by the Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the deadline in February. 

Despite a turbulent playoff run, the Houston Rockets remain firm believers in guard Reed Sheppard's long-term potential, with internal sources comparing his ceiling to Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash, sources tell ESPN

Sheppard, selected third overall in the 2024 draft, struggled with consistency throughout Houston's first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 16-for-64 in the Rockets' four defeats but 11-for-24 in their two wins, a split that illustrated both his promise and his volatility.

The inconsistency drew outside skepticism. One rival scout offered a sharply different projection when asked about the Nash comparison.

"More like Steve Kerr," the scout said, envisioning Sheppard as an undersized reserve rather than a primary offensive engine.

Internally, the Rockets push back on that assessment.

"He just flashes so much greatness you can't teach," a team source told ESPN. "From Steve Nash to Steph Curry, none of those little guards play great their first few years. We're still big believers in Reed."

Sheppard's poor defense in Game 1 limited him to 11 minutes in Game 2. He contributed a damaging turnover in Game 3's late collapse but also delivered a key steal off LeBron James in Game 5 that helped seal a road win. He finished Game 6 shooting 4-of-19, including 1-of-10 from three.

The Rockets drafted Sheppard one spot ahead of Stephon Castle, the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, who is an All-NBA caliber talent in his second season with the San Antonio Spurs. Houston's belief in Sheppard's temperament to grow from this season's adversity remains unchanged heading into the offseason.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and general manager Rafael Stone are expected to return to the team next season, sources told Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports.

With back-to-back 50 win seasons, ownership remains confident in the duo. There is also a belief within ownership that with a healthy Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, and Kevin Durant, the team is not far away from the Spurs or the Thunder.

The Rockets will be looking to make upgrades this summer. There was rumored regret for not making a move at the trade deadline for a guard or a big, and possible buyout additions remained with their current teams.

Among the names the Rockets are interested in this summer include Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

The Rockets will also engage in long-term contract negotiations with Tari Eason and Amen Thompson this summer.

With Eason a restricted free agent, the Rockets are expected to match any offers.

Thompson will be eligible for a five-year, $252 million max deal. 

The Rockets will also speak with VanVleet over a possible long-term deal this summer. VanVleet currently has a $25 million player option. 

Kevin Durant's first season with the Houston Rockets ended in disappointment, marked by a knee injury, a sprained right ankle, and unresolved questions about his relationship with teammates. The Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games with Durant appearing in only of them and his future with the franchise uncertain less than one year after his trade from the Phoenix Suns.

Allegations surfaced during the season that Durant had criticized teammates, including Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., through a burner account on X. Several league sources with close ties to Rockets players described the situation as a significant distraction that was never fully resolved internally.

"My teammates know what it is," Durant said during a media session in February. "We've been locked in the whole season."

Durant was one of just five NBA players to average 26 points, five rebounds and four assists during the regular season. However, the Rockets struggled with cohesion throughout the year.

A knee injury suffered in practice kept Durant out of Game 1 against the Lakers. He returned for Game 2 but sprained his right ankle in the second half, missing the rest of the series. Durant also drew attention in Game 3 by receiving treatment at Toyota Center rather than sitting with teammates on the bench during a pivotal collapse.

Ime Udoka defended the decision by Durant.

"He was back there getting treatment, getting the ice and doing things you can't do on the bench," Udoka said.

In October, Durant signed a two-year, $90 million extension that contains a player option for the 2027-28 season that will pay him $46 million. Durant took $30 million less than his max available contract.