Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have been one of the biggest revelations of the 2024-25 NBA season but may need to add a star player to be a true championship contender.

Perhaps that star player could be De'Aaron Fox if the Sacramento Kings decide to trade the guard, but Houston going after him reportedly isn't a guarantee.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Thursday that "it is by no means an automatic that the Rockets would pursue Fox should he be made available after the season."

The Fox situation is one to monitor, as Stein noted his agent, Rich Paul, met with team officials during a recent losing streak. That "caused a stir," although the report also pointed out "rival teams do not consider Fox available as we speak."

It might make some sense for Houston to be interested considering Stein reported it was "eager" to trade for another star guard in Donovan Mitchell during the offseason. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers never made him available and eventually signed him to an extension.

Fox is signed for just one more season after the current one, so the possibility of him eventually leaving Sacramento and signing with another team is something the front office is surely thinking about as the 2024-25 campaign progresses.

If the 15-19 Kings decide they are not realistic contenders in the immediate future, they could look to get a significant return package for Fox and accelerate a potential rebuild with an eye on the future.

The Rockets are a contender that could be in the business of adding another impact player. They are 22-11 and sitting in third place in the Western Conference standings, although they may not have the starpower to emerge from a loaded playoff field come April and May.

Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. offer a bright future, while veteran leadership is in place with Fred VanVleet.

However, there are a number of elite stars in the Western Conference in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry and Victor Wembanyama, among others. Navigating a playoff field that could include multiple matchups against these caliber players might be tricky for the Rockets.

Fox would at least give Houston more starpower to counter in crunch time, although it reportedly might want to use its resources elsewhere.

Many within the NBA reportedly view the Houston Rockets as the top candidate to make the next major trade for a star player.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the Rockets are the "runaway pick as the team to watch when the next star becomes available," due to their combination of young players and draft picks, as well as the presence of a quality head coach in Ime Udoka.

An anonymous Eastern Conference scout expressed their belief that the Rockets could shake the league to its core by making a significant move, saying: "The whole landscape of the league could change based off what they do."

Even without a true superstar on the roster, the Rockets have been among the best teams in the NBA this season, as their 21-9 record is good for second place in the Western Conference.

On the heels of eight consecutive playoff appearances, the Rockets traded James Harden, and they have subsequently missed the playoffs in four straight years.

The first three years of the drought saw them win 22 or fewer games each year, but they took a massive leap forward last season, going 41-41.

Adding veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks played a big role in the improvement, as did the development of young stars such as Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith.

This season, the Rockets have seven players who are averaging double figures in scoring, including second-year man Amen Thompson, who is a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year honors.

While the Rockets don't necessarily want to destroy their depth and move out a ton of blossoming stars in order to get an established one, it is difficult to envision them contending for a championship in their current form.

Houston has been linked to both Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in recent months with NBA insider Marc Stein calling Durant a "dream trade target" for the Rockets.

Durant or Antetokounmpo would speed up the Rockets' timeline considerably, although there is no indication that the Suns or Bucks are looking to trade them right now.

Whatever they decide to do, the Rockets are dealing from a position of strength in that they don't have to make a move unless they feel like they are getting a good deal.

Even if they stand pat, they are a top team that figures to continue getting better as their players grow and develop.

At the same time, it may be difficult to resist the allure of going for it should the opportunity to present itself, so it is understandable why the Rockets are considered a team to watch in NBA circles.

The Houston Rockets surely would have been better during Ime Udoka's first season as the team's head coach in 2023-24 if James Harden was on the roster.

Yet the head coach also knew Houston wasn't ready to immediately compete for a championship and told Harden as much when the future Hall of Famer was deciding where to sign during the offseason after the 2022-23 campaign.

"My main thing for us was, 'What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?'" Udoka said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. "But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), 'You're at the stage where you want to win, and we're not there yet.' And it wasn't just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.

"They all went to other places, but they had Golden State, Milwaukee, Phoenix and all these teams (wanting them) to come. But I told them, 'We're not there. Go try to win a championship.' And so, it's just about fit and where we're at. … Our (young) guys needed the reps."

Amick noted Harden and Udoka's vision for the Rockets "just wasn't the right fit" despite the mutual respect, noting "adding a ball-dominant, all-time great who never has been known for defense wasn't the way to go" with a plan to "build a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offense."

Harden ended up signing with the Los Angeles Clippers and joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

That hasn't exactly worked out as planned, as the Clippers lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. What's more, George is now on the Philadelphia 76ers while Leonard is yet to play this season because of injury.

Houston went 41-41 in Udoka's first season and, in something of an ironic twist, seems closer to competing for a championship in his second season than Harden's Clippers. The Rockets are 17-9 and in third place in the Western Conference standings, while Los Angeles is 14-12 and in ninth place.

Young players such as Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. have taken strides, and there is some veteran leadership with Fred VanVleet in the backcourt.

Things likely would have looked much different with Harden dominating the ball and perhaps impacting some of the development of the younger players, and Udoka recognized as much before coaching a single game for the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets have impressed at the start of the NBA season and could look to make a win-now trade ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

But it doesn't seem like that trade will be for Jimmy Butler.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Wednesday that "sources with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking maintain that they are extremely unlikely to pursue a 35-year-old."

Houston has a young core with Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr., and Butler is someone who could provide veteran leadership alongside Fred VanVleet. He is also someone who could take over a playoff series with no shortage of experience with 119 career postseason games.

Still, it doesn't seem like the Rockets' front office will be willing to give up the necessary assets to land him even if it could bolster their immediate outlook.

And it could take a significant number of assets if a bidding war eventually breaks out before the trade deadline.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, "indicated in league circles" the six-time All-Star would be open to ending up on the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks in addition to the Rockets.

While it should be noted Lee called Charania out for his report, that is a number of Western Conference contenders that could realistically position themselves as even more serious championship threats with Butler on the roster.

Butler combining with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix, Stephen Curry in Golden State, or Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving in Dallas is not an ideal situation for the other Western Conference teams, and it could come down to which one is willing to give up the most to the Miami Heat.

The 35-year-old has a player option for next season, and the Heat could decide to move him this season before potentially losing him without the return package a trade would offer.

It just doesn't seem like they will be moving him to Houston.

The NBA announced fines Thursday for Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka ($50,000), forward Tari Eason ($35,000) and center Alperen Şengün ($15,000) following Houston's 120-111 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Udoka and Şengün were both fined for using inappropriate language toward a referee, while the coach also "[failed] to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected."

Eason had a tense exchange with a fan and threw his towel after the game ended, per The Athletic's Sam Amick. He also tried to enter the stands to confront the fan before being held back by security personnel.

The Kings were well ahead in the final minutes of the contest, but that didn't stop tensions from boiling over on the Houston bench.

With 1:52 remaining, Udoka was upset when the officials didn't whistle Sacramento big man Domantas Sabonis for contact on Şengün inside. He was quickly ejected and continued arguing with the ref. Moments later, Şengün was sent back to the locker room as well.

Udoka vented his frustration in his postgame press conference.

"Blatant missed calls right in front of you," he said. "You're calling ticky tack moving screens and little s--t like that, but you don't want to call the obvious ones right in front of you. Alpi got fouled a few times on that drive and on the layup—they don't want to call it. Told them to get some f--king glasses and open your eyes."

The defeat to Sacramento dropped Houston to 15-7 on the season. The result snapped a three-game winning streak. The Rockets still sit second in the Western Conference at 15-7, 1.5 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their next game is Thursday night on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

The Houston Rockets don't plan to accelerate their timeline for contention as they sit second in the Western Conference at 15-7, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

On the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Rockets consider young stars Tari Eason and Amen Thompson to be "untouchable," which is something he has said before.

MacMahon explained Houston is taking a much wider stance on any trades.

"I've just spent some time around the Rockets and I was told by more than one person, very very firmly, very adamantly, they will not change the core of that team this season," he said at the 11:57 mark. "Maybe they make a fringe rotation-type of deal, but they are going to play the season out with the core of that team is what they are saying right now."

This is always the dilemma for a franchise that's exceeding expectations with a promising squad that's still developing.

Future success is never assured. In 2021-22, the Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best record in the NBA and look at what has happened to them since then. It was all downhill for the Atlanta Hawks after they reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21.

By the same token, being too aggressive too soon has its own drawbacks. The young players aren't allowed enough time to work through their flaws, and a front office sacrifices valuable assets that might've been better utilized down the line.

In the case of Houston, executing a blockbuster trade before the current roster even has the chance to compete in the playoffs together would be hasty.

The Rockets aren't the championship favorites and they'd certainly benefit from having more shooting. They rank 15th in offensive rating (112.7) and 26th in three-point percentage (33.1), per NBA.com.

Along with that, a consolidation trade is probably inevitable when Houston has seven players averaging double figures in scoring, with five of those aged 23 or younger.

But the postseason will be instructive in seeing who is and isn't a true building block for the future and what areas need to be addressed in a meaningful way.

General manager Rafael Stone has a lot of time to evaluate how the Rockets eventually make the next step.

The Houston Rockets signed two key players to extensions this offseason, but one of those players hasn't secured a long-term future with the team yet.

Per Hoops Hype's Michael Scotto, the Rockets center Alperen Şengün is "unlikely" to be traded after his five-year, $185 million extension, but the same cannot be said for Jalen Green, who inked a three-year, $105.3 million extension over the offseason.

"Jalen Green was floated in trade rumors last season for former Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges and has since signed a three-year $105.3 million extension," Scotto wrote. "Despite the extension, NBA executives across the league believe Green won't be off limits in future trade discussions."

Şengün, who is in his fourth season in the NBA, is coming off the best year of his career when he averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. So far this year, he's putting up 18.8 points, 10.9 boards and 5.3 assists per game and was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

The Rockets are second in the West after missing the postseason a year ago and Şengün has been at the forefront of their 15-6 start. At just 22 years old, he seems well on his way to being Houston's franchise player, which is enough of a reason not to trade him away.

Green, who is also in his fourth season, is putting up 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this year. He had an outstanding year in his second season in the league but has shown little growth since then, which could be one of the reasons why the Rockets would be open to eventually trading him.

As Scotto noted, Houston entertained the idea of trading Green to the Nets for Mikal Bridges, though Bridges was ultimately sent to the New York Knicks and Green remained with the Rockets.

With the way Houston is playing so far this season, making a move as drastic as trading Green doesn't seem necessary, but he could be on his way out if things start to collapse later this year.

The NBA announced on Monday that Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has been fined $50,000 for "confronting and directing profane language toward the officiating staff" during Saturday's 104-98 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.

VanVleet pointed at several of the individual referees and expressed his displeasure after being called for an offensive foul with just seconds remaining in the game. He also appeared to come close to poking one official in the head and was promptly ejected.

"I think I'm in enough trouble as it is tonight," VanVleet told reporters after the game regarding the incident and the officiating in general. "Probably don't need to discuss too much officiating. I know the refs are not trying to be wrong, but we disagreed quite a bit tonight."

VanVleet appeared to already be annoyed that on Houston's previous possession, a foul wasn't called for contact against him while he attempted a wild three. Crew chief Courtney Kirkland did acknowledge after the game, during the pool report, that a foul should have been called in that instance.

"In live action, we felt that the defender stayed directly on the path of VanVleet during his attempted motion toward the basket," he said. "After video review, we see the defender did close space and did make contact with the hip of VanVleet and a foul should have been called. However, shots would not have been awarded on the play."

VanVleet said he was anticipating the Blazers fouling in that situation, hence the wild attempt.

"Most teams foul up three now," he told reporters. "So, driving down the court, listening to their whole team yell foul to the guy on the ball [Toumani Camara], trying to take the foul. Anticipated it a little bit. The ref told me he didn't think there was much contact. Trying, obviously, to get some points on the board, knowing they were going to take a foul up three."

Despite the loss, the Rockets remain third in the Western Conference with a 12-6 record, a promising start for a team trying to earn a playoff berth after missing out on the postseason for the past four years. Houston has improved its win totals in each of those years and appears to be on the right trajectory in the 2024-25 campaign.

After recently reporting that the Houston Rockets are interested in pursuing a trade for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, NBA insider Marc Stein is now pumping the brakes on that rumor.

Stein reported on Sunday that the Rockets' interest in pursuing a trade for Durant "has been overstated from the jump."

It was just a week ago that Stein reported that Houston hoped to "see if dream trade target Kevin Durant were to become available down the road … no matter how adamant Phoenix has remained about its desire to keep Durant in the desert" (h/t HoopsHype). He had noted at the time that the Rockets were leaning toward waiting until the offseason to determine whether or not they would move on from one of their young players as part of their strategy for pursuing Durant.

However, Houston is off to an impressive 12-6 start to the season, ranking first in the Southwest Division. Stein now reports that the Rockets plan on forging ahead with their rising stars instead of blowing things up to bring in a bigger name.

"Houston is determined to prioritize internal development this season with its youthful roster off to a 12-6 start and has been miscast by rival front offices as a team looking to make a splashy move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline," Stein stated.

The Rockets have been trudging through a rebuild for years, but things are finally coming together with players like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green leading the way. Still, Stein pointed out that there will come a time when Houston has to evaluate whether it's best to keep these young players or make a move to improve its roster.

"The Rockets, most importantly, intend to prioritize timeline considerations as much as talent and fit when they do make their next major trade, according to league sources," Stein wrote. "This is a roster, remember, that — beyond veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams — features seven first-round picks who are 23 or younger and who were selected between No. 2 (Jalen Green) and No. 20 (Cam Whitmore) overall."

Houston will be back in action on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-7).

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet was issued a technical foul and ejected in the final seconds of Saturday's 104-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and then pointed his finger in the official's face as he left the court.

VanVleet was called for an offensive foul on an inbounds pass before he expressed his frustration.

Crew Chief Courtney Kirkland told the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen in a pool report interview that VanVleet was "ejected on one technical foul for his vulgar language and pointing at all three officials."

The pool report also included the following exchange:

"QUESTION: In the last minute, there was no call on the attempted 3-point field goal right before the technical foul. What was the ruling there where that contact didn't constitute a foul?

"KIRKLAND: In live action, we felt that the defender stayed directly on the path of VanVleet during his attempted motion toward the basket. After video review, we see the defender did close space and did make contact with the hip of VanVleet and a foul should have been called. However, shots would not have been awarded on the play."

It was the end of a disappointing night for VanVleet, who went 4-of-13 from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range with just eight points in the loss. He was the only member of Houston's starting lineup who did not score in double figures.

On the other side, the Trail Blazers had three starters score at least 22 points with Anfernee Simons leading the way with 25 points. Shaedon Sharpe added 24, while Jerami Grant finished with 22.

The loss ended a two-game winning streak for VanVleet and the Rockets, although they are still an impressive 12-6 on the campaign. They ended up splitting back-to-back home games against Portland on Friday and Saturday and will not face the team again until a Jan. 18 road matchup.

Next up for the Rockets is a two-game road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday and Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.