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Rockets May Have Moved the Needle Just Enough During the Offseason
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The Houston Rockets entered the offseason with lots of questions and a growing sense that something had to change.
After all, this is a team that hasn't won a playoff series since 2020, and the pressure to take the next step isn't exactly getting lighter.
There were plenty of rumblings that Houston could make a splash. With young talent on the roster and a desire to build around the right pieces, the Rockets were viewed as a potential trade-market wild card. At one point, Amen Thompson was reportedly the one player the team wasn't willing to move, which says a lot about how highly Houston views his future.
Instead of blowing things up or chasing a blockbuster deal, the Rockets took a lighter approach. They added Bogdan Bogdanovic to bring some much-needed shooting and offensive creativity to the roster, while Marcus Smart gives them the kind of tough, versatile presence that tends to matter when the games get more physical.
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Are these the moves that will suddenly turn Houston into a title contender? Probably not. The Rockets aren't walking into next season with a completely different identity. But they also didn't need to do that. Sometimes the biggest improvement comes from adding the right pieces around the players you already believe in.
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The bigger bet is on internal growth. Houston needs its young core to keep developing, and having a healthy Fred VanVleet back should help stabilize a team that had moments of looking ready for a breakthrough.
Losing Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie takes away some defensive depth, but the Rockets seem comfortable betting that their additions can fill those gaps.
It's not the most action-packed offseason in the NBA , and it won't dominate every headline. But improving around the edges has worked for plenty of teams before, and it might be the right approach.
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