Record0-02026-27
Last 10—
Net rating+5.42025-26 · ORtg 117.5 · DRtg 112.1
Pace97.0eFG% 54.2 · TS% 57.6
Injuries30 out · 0 questionable
Rumors0tagged in the last feeds
Podcast
All episodes · RSSRockets Tip-Off · every morning · Jordan Reyes & Marcus Hale
First episode with the preseason
Your team, every morning: last night, tonight, what changed. 8–12 minutes, and Rockets Final within half an hour of every buzzer. Subscribe to the feed and the first one arrives on its own.
The hosts
Jordan Reyes · host
Runs the show. Grew up on League Pass and box scores. Believes in the team until the numbers say otherwise, then argues with Marcus.
Marcus Hale · analyst
The numbers desk. Lineups, on/off, cap sheets. Dry, precise, allergic to hype. Keeps the receipts every Friday.
Salary cap · 2026-27
Full cap sheet$205.5M$40.5M over the $165.0M cap · 16 contracts
Durant
Şengün
VanVleet
Jr.
Kevin Durant $43.9M · Alperen Şengün $35.6M · Fred VanVleet $25.0M (PO) · Jabari Smith Jr. $23.6M
The morning briefing · free · one email a day
What changed, every morning
Last night, tonight, injuries, rumors and the standings move — for the Rockets, before your coffee. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Video
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Rockets Open 2026-27 at 0-0 With Durant, VanVleet and Adams All Day-to-Day
newsroom · 3 h agoHouston enters 2026-27 at 0-0, coming off a 52-30 season, with Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams all day-to-day and a 2026-10-01 target return. The roster loses Josh Okogie and Dorian Finney-Smith but keeps its core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. The regular season opens October 21 against Dallas after three preseason games.
Offseason Turnover
Houston heads into 2026-27 with two familiar names gone. Josh Okogie is now with the Jazz, and Dorian Finney-Smith is with the Hornets. Both were part of last season's rotation, and their departures open minutes on the wing. The roster now runs deeper with youth: rookies Bruce Thornton, Quadir Copeland and Rafael Castro join a group that already has Reed Sheppard and Sean Pedulla in their first or second seasons. The core stays veteran-heavy up top, with Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanović, Clint Capela, Jeff Green and Steven Adams all still on the roster. Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason remain the returning building blocks entering the new season.
The Roster Right Now
Houston's roster for 2026-27 runs 21 deep. Alperen Sengun (24, five years in) anchors the center spot alongside Steven Adams (33, 13 years) and Clint Capela (32, 12 years). Amen Thompson (23) and Jabari Smith Jr. (23) are the young forwards, with Tari Eason (25) and Julian Phillips (22) behind them. The backcourt mixes Fred VanVleet (32, nine years) and Marcus Smart (32, 12 years) with Reed Sheppard (22), Sean Pedulla (23) and Aaron Holiday (29). Kevin Durant (37, 19 years) and Jeff Green (40, 19 years) give the roster its oldest and most experienced wings. Bogdan Bogdanović (34) and Jae'Sean Tate (30) round out the veteran depth, with Isaiah Crawford, Oscar Tshiebwe and three rookies, Bruce Thornton, Quadir Copeland and Rafael Castro, filling out the roster.
Coming Off a 52-Win Season
Houston has not played a game yet in 2026-27; the record sits at 0-0. Last season, though, the Rockets finished 52-30. The numbers behind that record were strong across the board: an offensive rating of 117.5, a defensive rating of 112.1, for a net rating of plus-5.4. Houston played at a pace of 97.0 possessions, shot an effective field-goal percentage of 54.2 and a true shooting percentage of 57.6, and averaged 115.2 points per game. Those marks last season point to a team that was efficient on both ends. None of that carries over on the scoreboard, since the new season starts clean at 0-0, but it is the baseline the Rockets are working from as camp opens.
Last Season's Top Performers
Kevin Durant was Houston's leading scorer last season, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists over 78 games, shooting 41.3 percent from three. Alperen Sengun posted 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists across 72 games. Amen Thompson played 79 games, averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Jabari Smith Jr. added 15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds over 77 games, hitting 36.3 percent from three. Reed Sheppard played a full 82-game season, scoring 13.5 points a game on 39.4 percent shooting from three. Tari Eason chipped in 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 60 games, and Marcus Smart averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in 62 games.
Injury Report Ahead of Camp
Houston's injury report as camp opens has three players listed. Fred VanVleet is day-to-day with a right knee and leg issue, with an estimated return date of 2026-10-01. Steven Adams is day-to-day with a left ankle and leg issue, also with an estimated return of 2026-10-01. Kevin Durant is day-to-day with a left ankle and leg issue as well, with the same estimated return date of 2026-10-01. All three are core rotation pieces, VanVleet at the point, Adams at center and Durant as the leading scorer, so their status entering the preseason slate matters for how Houston uses training camp. If all three hit that estimated return date, they would be back before the preseason games against Dallas and Oklahoma City wrap up.
Preseason and the Road to October 21
Houston's next five games are preseason: at Dallas on 2026-10-09, home against Dallas on 2026-10-11, and home against Oklahoma City on 2026-10-15. The regular-season opener is set for 2026-10-21 against Dallas, followed by a trip to San Antonio on 2026-10-23 that will air on Prime Video. The regular season runs 80 games this year, and Houston is scheduled for 25 games on national television. With the roster at 0-0 and key names like VanVleet, Adams and Durant labeled day-to-day, the preseason slate against Dallas and Oklahoma City will be the first look at how healthy the group is before the games start counting on October 21.
Questions fans ask
What is Houston's record entering 2026-27?
0-0. The Rockets have not started the season yet.
When do the Rockets open the 2026-27 season?
October 21, 2026, at home against Dallas.
Who is on Houston's injury report right now?
Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Kevin Durant are all listed day-to-day, each with an estimated return of October 1, 2026.
Which players left Houston this offseason?
Josh Okogie, now with the Jazz, and Dorian Finney-Smith, now with the Hornets.
How many national TV games does Houston have this season?
25, out of an 80-game regular season.
What did Houston's record look like last season?
52-30, with a net rating of plus-5.4 (117.5 offensive rating, 112.1 defensive rating).
What changed
Last 36 hoursINJ
Kevin Durant: Day-To-Day (Ankle · Leg · Left) · 6 h ago
INJ
Fred VanVleet: Day-To-Day (Knee · Leg · Right) · 6 h ago
INJ
Steven Adams: Day-To-Day (Ankle · Leg · Left) · 6 h ago
Injury tracker
updated 3 min ago| Player | Status | Injury | Est. return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred VanVleet | Day-To-Day | Knee · Leg · Right | 2026-10-01 |
| Steven Adams | Day-To-Day | Ankle · Leg · Left | 2026-10-01 |
| Kevin Durant | Day-To-Day | Ankle · Leg · Left | 2026-10-01 |
Rotation tracker · player stock
expectedExpected rotation · minutes from 2025-26
Order = last season's minutes for the players on this roster; the real rotation replaces it after the first regular-season game.
Schedule
Full 2026-27 schedule · 83 games8:00 AM ET
HOU
DAL
Fri, Oct 9
6:00 AM ET
DAL
HOU
Sun, Oct 11
8:30 PM ET
OKC
HOU
Thu, Oct 15
8:30 PM ET
DAL
HOU
Wed, Oct 21
9:30 PM ETPrime Video
HOU
SAS
Fri, Oct 23 · Prime Video
8:00 PM ET
HOU
ATL
Sat, Oct 24
Head-to-head
Rockets vs every teamRoster
21 players| # | Player | Pos | Ht | Age | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Aaron Holiday | G | 6-0 | 29 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| 1 | Amen Thompson | G-F | 6-7 | 23 | 18.3 | 7.8 | 5.3 |
| 4 | Julian Phillips | F | 6-6 | 22 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| 5 | Fred VanVleet | G | 6-0 | 32 | — | — | — |
| 7 |  Kevin Durant | F | 6-11 | 37 | 26.0 | 5.5 | 4.8 |
| 8 | Jae'Sean Tate | F | 6-4 | 30 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| 10 | Jabari Smith Jr. | F | 6-11 | 23 | 15.8 | 6.9 | 1.9 |
| 12 |  Steven Adams | C | 6-11 | 33 | 5.8 | 8.6 | 1.5 |
| 15 | Reed Sheppard | G | 6-2 | 22 | 13.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| 17 | Tari Eason | F | 6-8 | 25 | 10.5 | 6.3 | 1.5 |
| 27 | Isaiah Crawford | F | 6-6 | 24 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| 28 | Alperen Sengun | C | 6-11 | 24 | 20.4 | 8.9 | 6.2 |
| 30 | Clint Capela | C | 6-10 | 32 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 0.7 |
| 31 | Bogdan Bogdanović | G | 6-5 | 34 | 7.4 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| 32 |  Jeff Green | F | 6-8 | 40 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| 34 | Oscar Tshiebwe | F-C | 6-8 | 26 | 7.8 | 6.6 | 1.2 |
| 36 |  Marcus Smart | G | 6-3 | 32 | 9.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| Sean Pedulla | G | 6-1 | 23 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | |
| Bruce Thornton | G | 6-2 | 22 | — | — | — | |
| Rafael Castro | C | 6-11 | 23 | — | — | — | |
| Quadir Copeland | G | 6-6 | 23 | — | — | — |
Per-game stats: 2025-26 (last season, until the new one tips off).
Most-used lineups
2025-26| Five | GP | Min | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| K. Durant - J. Okogie - A. Sengun - J. Smith Jr. - A. Thompson | 41 | 377 | +10.3 |
| K. Durant - A. Sengun - J. Smith Jr. - T. Eason - A. Thompson | 36 | 306 | +9.1 |
| K. Durant - A. Sengun - J. Smith Jr. - A. Thompson - R. Sheppard | 44 | 273 | -6.4 |
| K. Durant - S. Adams - A. Sengun - J. Smith Jr. - A. Thompson | 14 | 97 | -0.7 |
| K. Durant - C. Capela - D. Finney-Smith - A. Thompson - R. Sheppard | 23 | 84 | +21.1 |
| K. Durant - A. Sengun - T. Eason - A. Thompson - R. Sheppard | 25 | 77 | -7.4 |
Trade radar
0 taggedNo rumors tagged to the Rockets in the current feeds.
Team stats 2025-26: 115.2 PPG · 48.1 RPG · 25.4 APG