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Shams: Rockets, Kevin Durant optimistic about contract extension prior to season - ClutchFans
Kevin Durant already made it clear at Houston’s Sept. 29 media day that he intends to sign a contract extension with the Rockets. It’s simply a matter of when and how much. And we may not have to wait long to find out. ESPN insider Shams Charania said this on Wednesday’s NBA Today television show: […]
Postgame Show: Kevin Durant makes Rockets debut as Houston moves to 2-0 in preseason - ClutchFans
Kevin Durant is now really a Houston Rocket. Durant made his Houston Rockets debut on Wednesday as the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 140-127. Durant missed his first three shots, then made his final seven en route to 20 points to lead the Rockets. Amen Thompson finished with 19 points, seven boards and six assists, […]
Rockets likely to pursue disabled player exception for Fred VanVleet - ClutchFans
As first reported by ESPN, the Houston Rockets are likely to pursue a disabled player exception for veteran guard Fred VanVleet, a team source confirmed to ClutchFans. VanVleet tore the ACL in his right knee last month and could miss the entire 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery, though a timetable has yet to be specified. […]
Postgame Show: Sengun, Smith Jr., Rockets take preseason opener - ClutchFans
There was no Kevin Durant, which was a definite disappointment, but the Rockets opened their preseason Monday night with a 122-113 home win over the Atlanta Hawks. Ben Dubose and I went live on the ClutchFans YouTube account for postgame, discussing the impactful first quarter from Jabari Smith Jr., the offensive burst from Alperen Sengun […]
Jabari Smith Jr. rejoins Houston’s starting lineup for 2025-26 season - ClutchFans
As expected, fourth-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. is returning to the starting lineup for the 2025-26 Houston Rockets. “For the most part we have four guys penciled in, and we’ll figure out what to with the fifth,” head coach Ime Udoka said earlier in the week. At Saturday’s training camp practice, Udoka confirmed that Smith […]
ESPN sees growing bond between Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant - ClutchFans
It’s been well established in the past that Jabari Smith Jr. looks up to Kevin Durant, now his teammate with the Houston Rockets. The two have worked out together in previous offseasons, and both have similar body types as lanky, 6-foot-10 or 6-foot-11 forwards with perimeter shooting ability and considerable defensive versatility. Granted, Smith’s production […]
Former Westbrook teammates agree - they've never seen an athlete in the NBA like Amen Thompson - ClutchFans
From the moment they selected Amen Thompson with the fourth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets have been ecstatic about his potential. Inside the organization, from the front office to the coaching staff, there’s been a consistent belief in Amen’s enormous upside, built on his rare combination of size, elite athleticism, defensive […]
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) likely to miss regular-season games for Rockets - ClutchFans
Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who signed with Houston as a free agent in July, is very bullish on his fit with the Rockets. “I love playing with a bunch of people who take pride in guarding guys, and whenever you play Houston, you know it’s going to be a tough game,” Finney-Smith said at Monday’s […]
As training camp opens, Rockets see growth from Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson - ClutchFans
HOUSTON — With Fred VanVleet sidelined for most or all of the 2025-26 season due to an ACL tear in his right knee, the Rockets know they will need to entrust Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard with more on-ball responsibilities. So far, so good. After Tuesday’s opening practice of training camp, Jabari Smith Jr. described […]
Kevin Durant says he expects to sign contract extension with Rockets - ClutchFans
HOUSTON — At the moment, the Rockets and Kevin Durant haven’t yet reached a contract agreement for beyond the 2025-26 NBA season. But that doesn’t mean that one isn’t coming. During Monday’s media day to preview the upcoming season, the 15-time All-Star made it clear that he didn’t leverage his July 2025 trade to Houston […]
Jabari Smith Jr. thinks he deserves a return to Rockets’ starting lineup - ClutchFans
HOUSTON — The Rockets traded away two starters (Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks) in the deal bringing in superstar forward Kevin Durant, and they subsequently lost veteran point guard Fred VanVleet to an ACL tear in his right knee. So, relative to when we last saw the Rockets in the 2025 NBA playoffs, Houston only […]
Patrick Fertitta: Even after Durant trade, Rockets still focused on long-term
The Houston Rockets recently traded for a 37-year-old superstar in Kevin Durant, but that doesn’t mean the team’s focus has shifted strictly to a short-term view. Patrick Fertitta, son of Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and an increasingly important figure in Houston’s front office, spoke Monday with Matt Thomas of SportsTalk 790 and explained that the […]
Rockets Pick Up Jaden Springer, Second-Round Pick in Trade with Celtics - ClutchFans
The NBA Trade Deadline is just over 24 hours away but the Houston Rockets have already made a move. OK, it’s not that kind of move, but Rafael Stone and the front office did make a trade on the margins on Wednesday, picking up Jaden Springer and a 2030 second-round pick from Boston. The Rockets […]
Rockets pick up another second-round pick in deal with Hawks - ClutchFans
The Houston Rockets are working the phones to do a little more asset management. After acquiring a second-round pick from Boston to take on Jaden Springer’s salary, the Rockets made another similar move, absorbing the contract of Cody Zeller this season to get back a 2028 second-round pick. Ironically, that pick is Houston’s own 2028 […]
Houston a potential landing spot for Ben Simmons post-buyout? - ClutchFans
ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst said on Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline show that Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons is working on a buyout and the Houston Rockets is a potential landing spot for him. “Cleveland and Houston are two situations for Ben Simmons,” said Windhorst. Brian Windhorst says the Cavaliers and Rockets are buyout locations […]
Podcast: Doncic to Lakers, Fox to Spurs and the Trade Deadline for the Houston Rockets - ClutchFans
Luka Doncic traded to the Lakers? De’Aaron Fox traded to the Spurs? What a crazy few days it has been, and the NBA trade deadline (Feb 6) hasn’t even arrived yet. The league is already turned upside down, so what does this mean for the Western Conference and the Houston Rockets? Join Dave Hardisty and […]
Poison Pill: The Impact of Recent Extensions on the Rockets' Trade Options - ClutchFans
Just before the start of the regular season, the Houston Rockets signed Jalen Green to a three-year, $105.3 million extension and Alperen Sengun to a five-year, $185 million extension, locking up two key pieces of their rebuild. These extensions eliminated any meaningful salary cap room for Houston in the summer of 2025. However, since the […]
Houston Rockets Draft Decisions: Who Will Be the #3 Pick? - ClutchFans
It’s officially NBA Draft Week! The weeks of speculation are coming to an end as we’ve just about arrived at the 2024 NBA Draft. The Rockets hold picks #3 and #44 and could be quite active on the trade market. Dave Hardisty and David Weiner paired up on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the options […]
Podcast: Houston Rockets options with the #3 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft - ClutchFans
The offseason is now underway. The forecast looks good for the Houston Rockets, but… there’s pressure as well this offseason because there are a handful of other West teams that might have rosier futures. Ime Udoka wants to win and win big. As we are about five weeks away from the NBA Draft, what are […]
Podcast: Steven Adams, Mikal Bridges and Trade Possibilities for the Rockets - ClutchFans
The Houston Rockets already made one deal, acquiring center Steven Adams from Memphis for a handful of second-round picks, but we still have several days left before this Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline. Are more deals on the way? Rumors of interest in Mikal Bridges have swirled, with the Rockets holding precious (and unprotected) first-round picks […]
Rockets trade for center Steven Adams - ClutchFans
The Rockets made a surprise trade on Thursday, sending the contract of Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks to Memphis for center Steven Adams. The deal came together quickly and the Rockets had a small window to get it done, hence why this trade was made with a week to go until the trade deadline. […]
On the KPJ trade and future of the Rockets - ClutchFans
The Houston Rockets are back to being a professional NBA team once again. The Rockets finally ended the Kevin Porter Jr. era on Tuesday, coughing up two second-round picks in order to unload his contract to the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting back the contract of Victor Oladipo and third-year forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The move puts […]
Heavy investment in Kevin Porter Jr raises serious questions about Rockets front office - ClutchFans
Soon-to-be-ex Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr was arrested last week for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, resulting in a fractured neck vertebra and a deep gash above her right eye after an attack at a hotel in New York. He allegedly woke her up by punching her repeatedly, strangled her and did not stop hitting her […]
Mike D'Antoni: The Rockets isolation offense wasn't pretty, but it was effective - ClutchFans
Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni made an appearance on the Thinking Basketball podcast to discuss his career, and he went into his stretch with the Houston Rockets (2016-2020). One of the big topics discussed was the isolation sets that the Rockets ran often and why they did it. “If that one-on-one was not efficient, we […]
How a potential return of high schoolers to the NBA Draft impacts the Rockets - ClutchFans
So the opportunity for high school players to jump straight to the NBA is set to return. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA and Players Association are “expected to agree on moving the age eligibility for the NBA Draft from 19 years old to 18, clearing the way for the return of […]