Kevin Durant had to watch the final four games of the Houston Rockets’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers from the bench. After sitting out Game 1 with a bone bruise and sprained left ankle, Durant made his return in Game 2 before being sidelined again. He was unable to recover sufficiently to dress for the remaining games as the Lakers closed out the series.
It marked a deeply frustrating end to what was supposed to be a transformative first season in Houston, and the second consecutive first-round exit for a Rockets team that had genuine championship aspirations entering the year.
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Despite the disappointment, Houston’s front office does not plan to blow up its current core just yet. Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, multiple high-level team sources still believe their young core can contend for the next decade.
Those same sources confirmed that head coach Ime Udoka will remain an essential part of the team’s future, and so will Durant.
In what was reported as the largest trade in NBA history, the Rockets acquired the two-time Finals MVP from the Phoenix Suns last July in a seven-team deal that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a slew of draft assets to Phoenix. Durant signed a two-year, $90 million extension upon his arrival, keeping him in Houston through the 2027-28 season. The move paired the future Hall of Famer with one of the league’s most exciting young rosters, with expectations of a deep postseason run.
But that vision never had a fair chance to materialize as Houston’s season was undermined before it began. Point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending knee injury, forcing the Rockets to open the year without a true playmaker running the offense. Udoka’s solution was a jumbo starting lineup featuring Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams, with Amen Thompson operating as a makeshift point guard.
Despite the early setback, Houston still managed to win 52 games, enough to clinch the fifth seed in a competitive Western Conference.
