The Rockets’ 2023-24 NBA season has exceeded expectations, and this offseason they decided not to add any major players to their roster. The Rockets will enter the 2024-25 campaign with much of the same group as last year. Alpen Şengün should develop into an excellent center, and the young core surrounded by some seasoned veterans will look to contend for the playoffs in a crowded West.
Houston Rockets offseason: Review so far
A quiet offseason for the Rockets isn’t a bad thing
The Houston Rockets were expected to pursue a major trade or free agent this offseason. Given the addition of Fred VaVleeta big move would have followed. One of the youngest and most exciting teams to watch in the NBA, the Rockets overachieved last year, winning 41 games and barely missing a chance at a playoff spot against the Golden State WarriorsSo far, Houston hasn’t had any big projects or big deals. Instead, the franchise has relied on its young talent and core, the group that surprised many around the league last season. A quiet offseason doesn’t necessarily mean doom for the Rockets. The organization seems happy with its current roster. Given what they accomplished last season, perhaps laying low this summer is the right move.
Acquire Steven Adams Adams’ arrival from Memphis at the trade deadline last year was a great move for the Rockets and their newest signing could make an immediate impact. Adams is a powerful, reliable big man, a veteran and one of the most highly regarded players in the league. Pairing him with Alperen Şengün should benefit the talented Turkish center. Şengün has already shown glimpses of his ability to dominate the paint, and his potential is still developing.
The Rockets also made a smart draft pick Reed Sheppard This summer, Sheppard was on the draft lists of many NBA teams, but Houston selected him with the third overall pick. Sheppard has already been tipped to be in the running for NBA Rookie of the Year, so the Rockets may have pulled off a masterstroke with the young Kentucky native this summer.
Departures of key players
The Rockets lost only two players this offseason:Reggie Bullock And Boban Marjanovic. Why teams continue to let the NBA’s top TV star walk away is a question mark. He’s a great glue player with a team-first attitude like no other. He and Bullock are still free agents.
Acquisitions of key players
In addition to signing Reed Sheppard, who will be on the Opening Day roster, the Rockets signed an experienced free agent Aaron Holiday.
Houston also signed undrafted rookies N’Faly Dante from Oregon and Jack McVeigh from Australia. Both players have signed two-way contracts and will play for Houston’s affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League.
Steven Adams may be Houston’s best signing since VanVleet signed last summer. Adams has yet to play for Houston due to his season-ending knee surgery last November, which kept him out of action following the trade.
From overachievers to playoff contenders
THE NBA Western Conference The competition is fierce, with the 1-11 seeds being very competitive and wins/losses being very close. Last year’s standings are a testament to that, with 46 wins securing the final play-in spot. The West is so competitive that teams can’t afford to take nights off or get into injury situations.
The Rockets played beyond expectations last season, surpassing the 40-win mark but falling one spot short of the play-in. However, despite a quiet offseason, the Rockets are in a good position to compete this year. Ime Udoka is a great coach who knows how to motivate his players while training them diligently. This could be the year the Rockets stay in the race and surpass their overachiever status. If they achieve that record, it would be the first time since Russell Westbrook And James Harden donned the Rockets jerseys in 2020.
