What the Houston Rockets can do this offseason
- ›Can add an outside free agent up to $2.8M via the Non-Tax MLE.
- ›Hard-capped at the second apron — triggered by Marcus Smart’s taxpayer mid-level, so it can't cross that line the rest of the season.
- ›Below the first apron: full expanded salary-matching is available.
- ›Draft capital: 4 extra incoming picks, owes 8.
CapTax1A2A
Non-Tax MLE$2.8MBi-Annual$2.8MMinimum$3.9M
Projected record
48-34
Projected net rating
+3.5
Current baseline
48 wins · +3.5 net
Full standings · models the position-aware rotation, a real-age aging curve, perimeter defense, and a bounded penalty for a structural hole; a talent-on-hand projection, not a full-season forecast (no coaching or playoff translation).
Team profile · on-court identity + fit
Offense
B-
57
Defense
B
61
Spacing
B
60
Playmaking
D
31
Rim protection
B
60
Perimeter D
B
59
Rebounding
C+
52
Defensive core +1.9Two-way balance +1.2Spacing +1.1Defense +1.1Connectors +0.6Thin playmaking -1.1
Grades are minutes-weighted from the projected rotation; the chips are the fit read — how much each strength or gap is worth in net rating, on top of raw talent. Dimensions come from each player’s real 2025-26 box profile. Injuries are real reported facts, factored into projected minutes.
Projected rotation · minutes by position, best players first
PGPoint
66Amen ThompsonST24y28m
57Fred VanVleet30y20m
SGShooting
57Fred VanVleetST30y11m
66Amen Thompson24y8m
73Kevin Durant38y7m
55Reed Sheppard22y22m
SFSmall F
73Kevin DurantST38y29m
53Tari Eason25y14m
55Reed Sheppard22y4m
PFPower F
50Jabari Smith Jr.ST23y33m
53Tari Eason25y11m
49Steven Adams33y4m
CCenter
65Alperen ŞengünST24y33m
50Jabari Smith Jr.23y2m
51Clint Capela32y12m
Out of rotation · no projected minutes in the 240-a-night budget
53Marcus Smart48Isaiah Crawford47Oscar Tshiebwe45Jae'Sean Tate45Bogdan Bogdanović43Julian Phillips43Bruce Thornton
Projected minutes from the position-aware rotation model: five on-court spots share a fixed 240-minute-a-night budget, best players first, with versatile players (their secondary spot shown on hover) sliding to a second position. ST = projected starter. Not a coach’s actual rotation.
Roster (16)
73SFKevin Durant$43.9M
65CAlperen Şengün$35.6M
57PGFred VanVleet$25.0M
50PFJabari Smith Jr.$23.6M
53SFTari EasonNO-TRADE$14.8M
49CSteven Adams$13.0M
66PGAmen Thompson$12.3M
55SGReed Sheppard$11.1M
51CClint Capela$7.0M
53PGMarcus SmartNO-TRADE$6.1M
48SFIsaiah CrawfordNO-TRADE$2.6M
43SFJulian PhillipsNO-TRADE$2.4M
45SGBogdan BogdanovićNO-TRADE$2.4M
45SFJae'Sean TateNO-TRADE$2.4M
47COscar TshiebweNO-TRADE$2.4M
43PGBruce ThorntonNO-TRADE$1.4M
Draft capital
Own first-rounders
’27 kept’28 kept’29 swap w/ BKN’30 kept’31 kept’32 kept
Incoming picks & swap rights
’27 1st · swap more’27 1st · from PHX’27 2nd · conditional’29 1st · swap most
Full ledger — 4 in, 8 out
in 2027 — first round draft pick from Brooklyn (swap, Houston outgoing)
in 2027 — first round draft pick from Phoenix
in 2027 — second round draft pick from Portland or New Orleans
in 2029 — first round draft pick from Dallas and / or Phoenix (two most favorable of these and Houston, Houston outgoing to Brooklyn)
out 2027 — second round draft pick to Philadelphia, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio or Miami
out 2028 — second round draft pick to Charlotte
out 2029 — second round draft pick to Memphis
out 2030 — second round draft pick to Memphis or Oklahoma City
out 2031 — second round draft pick to Boston (overlaps with another outgoing pick from Houston)
out 2031 — second round draft pick to Oklahoma City (Atlanta incoming, overlaps with another outgoing pick from Houston)
out 2032 — second round draft pick to Minnesota or Phoenix
out 2033 — second round draft pick to Charlotte