As of now, the Houston Rockets do not own a first-round pick in the much anticipated 2026 NBA Draft. That asset was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the ill-fated 2019 trade involving Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets do, however, possess a significant amount of future draft capital.

If Houston decides against pursuing a veteran star this offseason — such as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — the draft could play an important role for general manager Rafael Stone in identifying players who might address areas where improvement is needed.

And given the extremely deep talent pool, according to draft experts, moving up should at least be a consideration for the Rockets.

One asset that could help Houston climb the 2026 draft board is its collection of future picks, including unprotected first-round assets in 2027 from the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets (swap right). Both teams have uncertain-at-best outlooks for next season, which could make those potential lottery selections.

While landing a very high pick in 2027 or later could be quite valuable, there is also a path where using a future asset to trade up in this year’s draft might make sense.

New Draft Rules

With strategic tanking continuing to be a league-wide discussion and teams increasingly penalized for obvious attempts to lose games, the NBA appears poised to make additional adjustments to its lottery structure.

The proposed “3-2-1 system” would distribute lottery odds differently and reduce the advantages currently held by the league’s worst teams (by record).

For example, Brooklyn finished with the league’s third-worst record this season, and that guaranteed a selection at No. 6 or higher in the first round. But under a system designed to flatten lottery odds, possessing a similar record would no longer guarantee a premium pick.

Many league executives believe this year’s draft class has the potential to become one of the strongest in recent years. Next year’s class, however, may not carry the same expectations. With the depth available in 2026, first-round selections are perhaps much more valuable.

Who Might Houston Target?

Floor spacing, ball handling, and defense were among the traits Stone emphasized when discussing the types of players that Houston could target. Based on those priorities and the current identity of Houston’s roster, a few prospects stand out.

These players are generally viewed as mid-to-late selections in the first round, which could make a pick in that range more attainable by trade. For example, the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs own the No. 17 and No. 20 picks, yet both teams may not have available playing time to develop a 2026-27 rookie.

That could incentivize one or both teams to trade that pick elsewhere for a future asset. With that in mind, here are three potential options in that range.

Cameron Carr, Baylor

If the Rockets want to take a major swing, Cameron Carr could be an ideal fit. At 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot-plus wingspan, Carr averaged 18.9 points per game during his lone season at Baylor while shooting nearly 49% from the field and 37% on 3-pointers.

Along with his athleticism and ability to finish at the rim, Carr’s biggest value for the Rockets would be his shooting, particularly from long range. In Baylor’s game against the University of Houston that I attended, Carr notably knocked down multiple shots from well beyond 30 feet, and none came as desperation attempts late in the shot clock.

His shot creation and playmaking do not immediately stand out as elite traits, but they are more than sufficient for what the Rockets currently need.

Isaiah Evans, Duke

Unlike Carr, Isaiah Evans specializes more as a shot creator.

The 6-foot-6 Duke guard made significant strides during his sophomore season — in which he more than doubled his scoring average — after having taken a secondary role behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel as a freshman.

Evans’ 47% mark on pull-up jumpers stands out as an area Houston could benefit from. The Rockets need players capable of creating offense independently, rather than relying on teammates to generate those opportunities.

Fred VanVleet’s absence exposed some of those weaknesses, as Houston’s offense became heavily dependent on Kevin Durant — one of the few players on the roster capable of consistently creating his own shot.

From a Rockets perspective, Evans could fit naturally into that system and provide another perimeter threat alongside Durant and VanVleet.

Dailyn Swain, Texas

Dailyn Swain may be the most intriguing prospect among the group.

Although his 3-point shooting was a modest 34% last season, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward is extremely difficult to stop once attacking the basket. He already projects as a three-level scorer, as he possesses guard-like ball-handling ability and thrives in one-on-one situations.

His outside shooting percentages are not particularly concerning because of the steady progression he has shown throughout his career. After going 15% as a freshman, Swain bumped that to 25% as a sophomore and 34% as a junior.

That progression suggests a player committed to improving weaknesses, something not every young prospect embraces. With Stone repeatedly emphasizing “internal growth” as a major offseason priority, that type of work ethic would likely be highly valued by the Rockets.

Among the players listed, Swain may possess the highest long-term upside because of his physical tools and developmental potential.

When to Watch

The 2026 NBA Draft will take place over two days, June 23-24, in Brooklyn, New York. As things stand, the Rockets own picks at No. 39 and No. 53, overall, in Wednesday’s second round.

Each round will take place on its own day, with broadcast details and other logistics information available at NBA.com.

This is exactly what I do if I am the #Rockets. Keep drafting and developing. Don't fast track. Take a strategic step back. Trade for more draft picks and develop for the long haul. https://t.co/7a25EosVzd

— Chris A. White 🐻 (@fyrebear) May 19, 2026

On Wednesday, The Athletic released its annual anonymous poll of NBA players, who are asked to vote on various league superlatives.

Adding salt to the wound of the Rockets’ underwhelming 2025-26 season — which ended in a second consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs — Alperen Sengun topped the “most overrated” list with 12.3% of the vote.

The article then quoted a current NBA player who took a jab at the two-time All-Star, saying he’s “crying every play. He’s talented, but, dude, just play hard.”

Despite the relatively small sample size — 10 of 81 total votes — seeing a franchise cornerstone leading the list raises a larger question at hand: Which player from Houston’s so-called “young core” can truly emerge as a superstar?

The Athletic did their annual anonymous poll of NBA players and Alperen Sengun was voted the most overrated player in the league.

Said one player: "He's crying every play. He's talented, but, dude, just play hard." https://t.co/ACXdSjOkT6 pic.twitter.com/qtmH3KvNaE

— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) May 6, 2026

The recent playoff series versus the Los Angeles Lakers presented an opportunity for the Rockets to capitalize on their rebuilding years by having their highly drafted young players win a playoff series without Kevin Durant. On paper, that seemed to be a realistic possibility given the Lakers’ own injuries (Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves), but it never materialized.

When rebuilding, the Rockets had first-round picks in four straight drafts, selecting Jalen Green (No. 2 overall) and Alperen Sengun (No. 16) in 2021; Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3) and Tari Eason (No. 17) in 2022; Amen Thompson (No. 4) in 2023; and Reed Sheppard (No. 3) in 2024.

Teams drafting in the lottery are typically searching for a franchise-altering talent, i.e. a player capable of becoming a foundational piece for a championship contender. While many of the Rockets’ young players have developed well, uncertainty still surrounds which of them — if any — can ultimately ascend into true superstardom.

At the center of that discussion is upside versus limitation. The two players closest to becoming franchise cornerstones are Sengun and Thompson, but both still possess flaws that are more glaring than ever in conversations about elite status.

Sengun, the lone NBA All-Star on Houston’s roster outside of Durant, has earned the nickname “Baby Jokic” because of stylistic similarities to Nikola Jokic.

Comparisons between Sengun and the three-time league MVP may feel like hogwash, but they are not entirely unfounded. Both centers operate with guard-like skill sets and thrive around the free-throw-line extended area.

The major difference, however, is perimeter shooting. Jokic is a far more reliable shooter, hitting 36% of his career 3-point attempts. Sengun is at 28%. That limitation makes Sengun easier to defend, especially as his touch around the basket has regressed at times.

Sengun has yet to make the necessary offensive leap to become a legitimate top-tier option. The counterargument is that he has never played in an offensive system fully built around him, sharing responsibilities early in his career with Green and now with Durant.

Still, Durant played only one game in the first round against the Lakers. Despite running plays heavily through Sengun, the Rockets eclipsed 100 points just once in six games — an inexcusable outcome for a player expected to anchor the offense.

Amen Thompson is expected to sign a “lucrative” contract extension this summer that is potentially a five-year deal worth more than $250 million, per @sam_amick

(https://t.co/BpcFk1Qw4x) pic.twitter.com/x4CFK565RL

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 2, 2026

As for Thompson, he is arguably the current roster’s most talented player while already establishing himself as the team’s best perimeter defender. Much of his game currently relies on rare athletic gifts possessed by only a small percentage of the league, largely due to his lack of floor spacing. While Thompson’s midrange jumper has improved, his 3-point shooting remains well below average, even on mostly wide-open attempts.

For perimeter players, shooting is one of the most essential skills in today’s NBA. Guards who cannot shoot often become difficult to keep on the floor consistently, and even elite athleticism has limitations. However, if Thompson — already capable of averaging 18 points per game through downhill attacks and transition scoring — develops a respectable outside jumper, he possesses legitimate All-NBA potential.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that Thompson could sign a five-year, $250-million contract extension this summer, which would be the maximum allowed while making him the highest-paid player on Houston’s roster. General manager Rafael Stone said during his exit interview that internal development remains the organization’s primary focus this offseason, and a contract of that magnitude naturally raises expectations for significant growth.

The door has not closed on either Sengun or Thompson reaching superstar status, but the pressure is beginning to intensify. Relying on a soon-to-be 38-year-old Durant, who has played nearly 20 NBA seasons, to remain the best player only makes the Rockets’ path toward championship contention more daunting.

Other Rockets receiving votes:

Amen Thompson got one vote for most overrated and finished 11th (2.6% of the vote) for best defensive player.

Ime Udoka received 2 votes for most impressive coach aside from your own.

Jabari Smith Jr got one vote for most underrated. https://t.co/vSLTcjmGtL

— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) May 6, 2026

For a second straight season, the Houston Rockets will be part of the eight-team Western Conference playoffs. Their seed, however, remains unknown.

With wins in their last four games, the Rockets (47-29) clinched a top-six spot in the West standings when the Suns lost at Charlotte on Thursday night. Phoenix (42-35) is currently at No. 7, and Houston owns any tiebreaker after winning the head-to-head series.

In each conference, teams seeded sixth and above advance directly to the playoffs without having to go through the NBA’s play-in tournament. Since the Rockets have only six games left in their 2025-26 regular season, it is no longer mathematically possible to fall below the Suns.

As a franchise, Houston’s playoff berths in 2025 and 2026 are a welcome turn of events after a multi-year rebuilding project at the start of the decade. From 2021 through 2024, the Rockets missed the playoffs each spring.

Led by the All-Star duo of Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun and a pair of rising stars in Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, the Rockets are currently seeded fifth in the West. As the regular season winds down, that ranks just ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-30) and narrowly behind the Los Angeles Lakers (50-26) and Denver Nuggets (49-28).

Each team is well behind the West’s No. 2 seed, the San Antonio Spurs (58-18), so it’s a certainty that those four will be the No. 3 through No. 6 seeds, in some order. The teams seeded third and fourth will own home-court advantage (Game 1, Game 2, Game 5, and Game 7) in the resulting best-of-seven, first-round series.

Since the Rockets will be in either the No. 3 versus No. 6 or No. 4 versus No. 5 series, it guarantees that either the Lakers, Nuggets, or Timberwolves will be their eventual first-round opponent. For the Rockets, playoffstatus.com currently lists the Nuggets at a 66% probability; the Lakers at 29%; and the Timberwolves at 4%.

As of Thursday, PlayoffStatus.com gave Houston only a 20% chance at securing a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round. Then again, fans learned one year ago that having home-court advantage does not guarantee success.

Consider that in the 2025 first round, the second-seeded Rockets lost a decisive, winner-take-all Game 7 at home versus the seventh-seeded Warriors.

Houston might have an opportunity to make amends as a lower seed in 2026, though its first-round matchup won’t be against Golden State.

Furthermore, there’s this fun fact to consider: Houston’s most recent NBA championship came as a No. 6 seed, in 1995.

Whether in Houston or away, Game 1 of the 2026 first-round series will be played on Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19. A complete schedule will be announced shortly after the regular season concludes on Sunday, April 12.

In the first two weeks of January, fourth-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. went through a brutal eight-game shooting slump, and the Rockets were 3-5 over that span.

But since mid-January, Smith’s fortunes have changed in a big way — and so, too, have those of the Rockets as a team.

In 17 games since Jan. 18, the Auburn product is averaging 17.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% overall, 42.6% on 3-pointers, and 81.4% on free throws.

Smith’s true-shooting clip is a robust 64.8% over that period, and the Rockets are 11-6 (.647) during those 17 games — second-best among all Western Conference teams. In their previous 22 games, Houston had gone 11-11.

After Monday’s blowout home win over Utah, in which Smith scored a game-high 31 points, the Rockets (35-21) are back to No. 3 in the West standings.

“The last month or so I think Jabari has been catching his rhythm, understanding more his role,” All-Star forward Kevin Durant said postgame. “I know guys have been here for a while but it’s still a different team from last year, so guys have got to understand their roles a bit more. I think Bari has just stepped into his position and been great for us the last month.”

For Smith, it was his first time since February 2024 to score 20+ points in consecutive games.

Yet, it wasn’t just about the scoring, as Smith also finished with 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals against the Jazz. In postgame comments from Toyota Center, the versatile 6-foot-11 forward said he believes those types of defensive contributions often fuel his offense.

“I think it was about my mindset going into the games,” Smith said of his recent improvements. “Like I always say, if I do the other things, I usually play well.”

”I’m not going into the game worrying about when my shot is going to come, or when I’m going to get the ball. I’m just trying to focus on crashing, and doing other things. Playing defense, rebounding. Usually, when I focus on those things, the game just comes more naturally to me. I’m not thinking about it, and I just feel like I’m in a better flow.”

And at just 22 years old, Houston’s No. 3 overall pick from the 2022 draft still has plenty of time to get even better. Asked Monday whether he feels he’s emerging as one of the better two-way players in the NBA, Smith didn’t mince words.

“For sure,” Smith told Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports.

“As I keep focusing on the defensive end and on the little things, I think I’m only going to keep getting better. The game is slowing down for me this year, and teammates are helping me. I feel like I’m in a good flow right now.”

“To answer your question, yes, for sure.”

For the 2025-26 season overall, Smith is now averaging career-highs in points (15.6 per game), 3-point shooting (37.0%), and true shooting (57.1%), and his combination of size and shooting allows him to space the floor and impact games without being ball dominant.

Defensively, Smith ranks in the 88th percentile in blocks and 78th percentile in defensive rebounding among NBA forwards, per Cleaning the Glass.

As a team source recently told ClutchFans, “He’s Mr. Reliable.”

For more insight on Smith’s recent play, check out the ClutchFans YouTube channel for live postgame reaction to each game! Monday’s late episode features Dave Hardisty and Jeff Balke.

Will Kevin Durant’s alleged social media “burner” comments affect the Rockets?

At least through one game — Thursday’s impressive road win at Charlotte, led by a dominant showing from Durant — the answer appears to be no. (At least not negatively!)

With that victory and a Denver loss, Houston (34-20) climbed to No. 3 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings. Next up is Saturday’s showdown at Madison Square Garden, where tipoff versus the New York Knicks is at 7:30 p.m. Central on ABC.

In recent days, we had a pair of YouTube live streams reacting to the latest developments. Wednesday’s show with ClutchFans’ Dave Hardisty and Ben DuBose broke down Durant’s interview comments related to the scandal, while Thursday’s show with Hardisty, DuBose, and Chron.com’s Michael Shapiro offers key takeaways from an important win over the Hornets.

You can watch those shows below, and if you haven’t seen the alleged Durant commentary regarding at least two of his teammates, you can read those messages here. Judge for yourself.