Last season ended with Houston forcing a Game 6 after trailing the Lakers 3-0, then losing anyway and getting eliminated. That five-game stretch, played partly without Kevin Durant, is still the clearest measure of whether this roster can win the series that matters.
Last season
Houston went 52-30, with an offense that ranked eighth (117.5 ORtg), a defense that ranked fifth (112.1 DRtg) and net rating of 5.4, sixth in the league. The season ended against the Lakers: trailing 3-0, Houston won two straight without Durant on the floor to force a Game 6 — the sixth time any team has done that — then lost Game 6 and was eliminated.
July 2025
The trade that defined this era came July 6, 2025: Houston sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in a seven-team deal for Kevin Durant. He delivered, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 41.3 percent three-point shooting across 78 games last season. The bet was that Durant plus Sengun's passing closes the gap the Harden-era teams never did against the Lakers and Golden State.
This summer
The front office backed that bet with money: payroll totals $205.5 million, above the $200.4 million luxury tax line, anchored by Durant's $43.9 million and Sengun's $35.6 million, with Fred VanVleet's $25.0 million player option and Jabari Smith Jr.'s $23.6 million behind them. Draft capital stays mostly intact — swaps on most first-rounders through 2030 — aside from second-round picks owed to Charlotte in 2028 and Memphis in 2029.
Late September
The roster thinned instead of growing. Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green both left on September 21, with no reason or replacement reported since. Two-way big man Rafael Castro was waived October 1, a move Brett Siegel reported the same day. Seven notes columns since September 11 have floated names — Sengun, Thompson, Adams, Udoka among them — without adding a reported fact beyond Durant's September 13 comment that he wants to play for Team USA in 2028.
This week
Preseason opens Friday at Dallas, with a Mavericks rematch October 11 and the Thunder October 15 before the October 21 regular-season opener, again against Dallas. Houston's three best lineups by net rating last season all ran through Durant — the top unit, with Capela, Smith Jr., Eason and Sheppard, finished at plus-21.7 over 23 games. Houston won two games without him to force that Game 6 against the Lakers, then lost it. The comeback proved depth, not that this team beats the Lakers without Durant on the floor.
When do the Houston Rockets play their first preseason game?
The Rockets open the preseason on Friday, October 9 at the Dallas Mavericks, airing on NBA TV.
Is Kevin Durant still on the Houston Rockets?
Yes — Houston acquired Durant from Phoenix on July 6, 2025, and he averaged 26.0 points per game for the Rockets last season.
