The Rockets are still 0-0, so every rate stat here belongs to last season's 52-30 team. Payroll already sits above the luxury tax line, and one five-man lineup logged enough minutes to mean something.
Last season
Houston's 52-30 record came with a net rating of 5.4, sixth in the league, built on an offense that ranked eighth at 117.5 and a defense that ranked fifth at 112.1. Pace sat at 97.0. None of those marks belong to 2026-27: the record now reads 0-0, with no games played yet.
Last season's lineups
The Durant-Okogie-Sengun-Smith Jr.-Thompson group logged 377 minutes across 41 games, a net rating of +10.3 on a 121.8 offense and 111.5 defense allowed. A smaller unit of Durant, Capela, Smith Jr., Eason and Sheppard posted a +21.7 net, but over just 66 minutes in 23 games. The gap in sample size is the point: 377 minutes is signal, 66 is not.
This summer
Payroll sits at $205.5M, above the $200.4M luxury tax line, led by Kevin Durant's $43.9M, Alperen Sengun's $35.6M, Fred VanVleet's $25.0M player option and Jabari Smith Jr.'s $23.6M. Tari Eason adds $14.1M. Five players account for well over half that bill.
This week
The roster stands at 18 after Rafael Castro was waived as a two-way player on October 1, following Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday's departures on September 21. The Rockets are 0-0 in preseason, with two games this week: October 9 at the Mavericks and October 11 at home against them.
What was the Rockets' net rating last season?
Houston's net rating was 5.4, sixth in the league, on a 52-30 record.
Are the Rockets over the luxury tax this season?
Payroll is $205.5M against a $200.4M luxury tax line, so Houston sits above it.
