2025–26 Houston Rockets season
NBA professional basketball team season
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The 2025–26 Houston Rockets season was the 59th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 55th season in the city of Houston.[1]
| 2025–26 Houston Rockets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ime Udoka |
| President | Gretchen Sheirr |
| General manager | Rafael Stone |
| Owner | Tilman Fertitta |
| Arena | Toyota Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 52–30 (.634) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Southwest) Conference: 5th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Lakers 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Space City Home Network |
| Radio | Sportstalk 790 |
On June 22, 2025, the Rockets announced a trade with the Phoenix Suns involving Kevin Durant in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft from the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns also received five second-round picks, including one acquired by Houston from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 draft.[2][3] The Rockets started off the season 2–2, but would eventually improve on that record later on, getting their 10th win after only 13 games, which represented their best regular season opener record since their 15–0 record from the 1993–94 season.
In February, the team experienced inner turmoil when it was alleged that star Kevin Durant was criticizing teammates through a burner account. Durant shut down the locker room drama, but never denied the rumors.[4] Despite this, the team finished the season winning 9 of 10 games.
The Rockets clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season on April 2 when the Suns lost to the Charlotte Hornets. They would finish the regular season with a 52–30 record, placing 5th in the West. Ultimately, the Rockets fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games of the first round.
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Khaman Maluach | Center |  South Sudan |
Duke |
| 2 | 59 | Jahmai Mashack | Shooting Guard |  United States |
Tennessee |
The Rockets entered the 2025 NBA draft holding one first-round pick and one second-round pick, both of which acquired through previous trades.[5][6] They had traded their original selections to the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively. The team's acquired first-round pick originated from the Phoenix Suns as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix, with Houston acquiring that selection along with two other first-round picks from the Suns via the Brooklyn Nets. The team's acquired second-round pick, which was slated to be the final selection of the draft following the New York Knicks’ forfeiture of their pick due to free agency violations, originally belonged to the Oklahoma City Thunder and acquired through the Atlanta Hawks.
On June 22, the Rockets agreed to trade both of their 2025 draft selections, along with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and four additional second-round picks, to the Suns in exchange for Durant.[2][3] Thus by the conclusion of the draft, Houston joined the Denver Nuggets as one of only two teams without a retained draft pick for 2025.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Southwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – San Antonio Spurs | 62 | 20 | .756 | – | 32–8 | 30–12 | 13–3 | 82 |
| x – Houston Rockets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 10.0 | 30–11 | 22–19 | 10–6 | 82 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 26 | 56 | .317 | 36.0 | 17–24 | 9–32 | 7–9 | 82 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 26 | 56 | .317 | 36.0 | 16–25 | 10–31 | 4–12 | 82 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 25 | 57 | .305 | 37.0 | 14–27 | 11–30 | 6–10 | 82 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Oklahoma City Thunder * | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – San Antonio Spurs * | 62 | 20 | .756 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Los Angeles Lakers * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Houston Rockets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Phoenix Suns | 45 | 37 | .549 | 19.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Los Angeles Clippers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi – Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | .451 | 27.0 | 82 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 26 | 56 | .317 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Dallas Mavericks | 26 | 56 | .317 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 25 | 57 | .305 | 39.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Sacramento Kings | 22 | 60 | .268 | 42.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Utah Jazz | 22 | 60 | .268 | 42.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2025 preseason game log Total: 4–0 (Home: 2–0; Road: 2–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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| 2025–26 preseason schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2025–26 game log Total: 52–30 (Home: 30–11; Road: 22–19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 2–2 (home: 1–1; road: 1–1)
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November: 11–2 (home: 4–1; road: 7–1)
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December: 7–6 (home: 5–0; road: 2–6)
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January: 10–7 (home: 7–2; road: 3–5)
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February: 7–5 (home: 3–3; road: 4–2)
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March: 9–7 (home: 6–3; road: 3–4)
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April: 6–1 (home: 4–1; road: 2–0)
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| 2025–26 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2026 playoff game log Total: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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| 2026 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
West Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 3 | 1 | 483 | 457 | +26 | Advanced to knockout rounds |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | 4 | 2 | 2 | 484 | 461 | +23 | |
| 3 | Houston Rockets | 4 | 2 | 2 | 463 | 449 | +14 | |
| 4 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 454 | 485 | −31 | |
| 5 | Golden State Warriors | 4 | 1 | 3 | 436 | 468 | −32 |
Source: NBA
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Adams | 32 | 11 | 22.8 | .504 | .580 | 8.6 | 1.5 | .7 | .6 | 5.8 | |
| Clint Capela | 75 | 3 | 12.3 | .520 | .500 | .577 | 4.6 | .7 | .5 | .8 | 3.8 |
| Isaiah Crawford | 14 | 0 | 6.6 | .417 | .231 | .833 | 1.1 | .4 | .1 | .2 | 2.0 |
| JD Davison | 28 | 0 | 7.8 | .375 | .250 | .684 | 1.2 | 1.3 | .2 | .2 | 2.5 |
| Kevin Durant | 78 | 78 | 36.4 | .520 | .413 | .874 | 5.5 | 4.8 | .8 | .9 | 26.0 |
| Tari Eason | 60 | 34 | 25.8 | .416 | .358 | .776 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | .5 | 10.5 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 37 | 1 | 16.8 | .333 | .270 | .889 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .4 | .2 | 3.3 |
| Jeff Green | 30 | 0 | 5.8 | .368 | .273 | 1.000 | .8 | .3 | .1 | .1 | 2.2 |
| Aaron Holiday | 57 | 1 | 13.7 | .417 | .394 | .854 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 5.5 |
| Tristen Newton | 1 | 0 | 12.0 | .444 | .400 | .667 | 3.0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | 12.0 |
| Josh Okogie | 78 | 32 | 17.4 | .425 | .385 | .594 | 2.6 | .9 | .8 | .2 | 4.5 |
| Alperen Şengün | 72 | 72 | 33.3 | .519 | .305 | .691 | 8.9 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 20.4 |
| Reed Sheppard | 82 | 21 | 26.2 | .430 | .394 | .802 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .7 | 13.5 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 77 | 77 | 35.1 | .450 | .363 | .775 | 6.9 | 1.9 | .7 | .9 | 15.8 |
| Jae'Sean Tate | 46 | 1 | 8.8 | .514 | .313 | .636 | 1.6 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 2.8 |
| Amen Thompson | 79 | 79 | 37.4 | .534 | .216 | .779 | 7.8 | 5.3 | 1.5 | .6 | 18.3 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clint Capela | 4 | 0 | 5.5 | .375 | 1.8 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.5 | ||
| JD Davison | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 | ||
| Kevin Durant | 1 | 1 | 41.0 | .583 | .250 | .889 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 23.0 |
| Tari Eason | 6 | 4 | 32.5 | .477 | .333 | .846 | 6.7 | 1.7 | 2.5 | .7 | 13.8 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 4 | 0 | 12.3 | .143 | .182 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 2.0 |
| Jeff Green | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Aaron Holiday | 6 | 0 | 11.2 | .273 | .267 | .3 | .5 | .3 | .2 | 2.7 | |
| Josh Okogie | 6 | 2 | 17.3 | .440 | .385 | 1.000 | 2.3 | .8 | 1.2 | .0 | 4.8 |
| Alperen Şengün | 6 | 6 | 38.7 | .465 | .125 | .690 | 10.2 | 4.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 20.3 |
| Reed Sheppard | 6 | 5 | 32.0 | .307 | .296 | .750 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 2.2 | .8 | 12.2 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 6 | 6 | 42.0 | .388 | .373 | .769 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .7 | 17.5 |
| Jae'Sean Tate | 5 | 0 | 6.0 | .300 | .000 | .667 | 2.0 | .0 | .2 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Amen Thompson | 6 | 6 | 44.0 | .488 | .250 | .707 | 7.0 | 5.7 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 19.2 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Rockets only.
Transactions
Trades
| Date | Trade | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2025 | Three-team trade | [7] [8] [9] | |
To Washington Wizards
|
To Houston Rockets
| ||
To New Orleans Pelicans
| |||
| Seven-team trade | [10] [11] | ||
To Atlanta Hawks
|
To Los Angeles Lakers
| ||
| To Brooklyn Nets |
To Houston Rockets | ||
To Phoenix Suns
|
To Minnesota Timberwolves
| ||
To Golden State Warriors
| |||
- This pick was previously split, with Washington receiving it if No. 31–50 and New Orleans receiving it if No. 51–60; Washington will now receive the pick regardless of its position.
- The second-most favorable of the picks originally belonging to Boston, Indiana, LA Clippers, and Miami.
- The second-most favorable of the picks originally belonging to Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia.
- The less favorable of the picks originally belonging to Denver and Golden State.
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2025 | Steven Adams | [12] |
| July 10, 2025 | Jeff Green | [13] |
| July 10, 2025 | Aaron Holiday | [13] |
| July 10, 2025 | Jae'Sean Tate | [13] |
| July 10, 2025 | Fred VanVleet | [13] |
Additions
| Date | Player | Former Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 7, 2025 | Dorian Finney-Smith | Los Angeles Lakers | [14] |
| July 22, 2025 | Josh Okogie | Charlotte Hornets | [15] |
Subtractions
| Player | Reason | New Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack McVeigh | Waived |  Cairns Taipans |
[16] |
| Jock Landale | Waived | Memphis Grizzlies | [17] |
| Cam Whitmore | Traded | Washington Wizards | [18] |
| Nate Williams | Waived | Long Island Nets | [19] |