Sean Pedulla left the Rockets on October 20, the last roster move before the regular season begins October 21 against Dallas. Hoops Rumors said the same shuffle converted Oscar Tshiebwe and Julian Phillips to two-way deals, so the question now is minutes, not names.
Last season
The baseline is 52-30, a 117.5 offense, a 112.1 defense and a plus-5.4 net at a 97.0 pace. The playoffs ended against the Lakers in a first-round series Houston stretched to six games after trailing 3-0. Kevin Durant shot 41.3 percent from three. Amen Thompson shot 21.6 percent, the number that caps the ceiling of this lineup.
October 9 to 15
Three exhibitions, three blowouts. Houston scored 135 at Dallas on October 9, allowed 132 at home to the same Mavericks on October 11, then held the Thunder to 89 on October 15. Bogdan Bogdanovic led that last one with 15 points and Alperen Sengun added 14. Every injury tag from the stretch has cleared, and the list is empty.
October 19 and 20
Hoops Rumors said the Rockets converted Tshiebwe and Phillips to two-way contracts and waived Pedulla, and the departure became official Monday. The payroll stands at $205.5 million against a $200.4 million tax threshold. The Dream Shake reported on how Ime Udoka plans to handle rotation minutes for Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams.
This week
Dallas visits October 21, then Houston plays at San Antonio on October 23 on Prime Video and at Atlanta on October 24, a back-to-back. The Hawks return the visit on October 26. Space City Scoop argued the Thunder's Cason Wallace extension stings for Houston, a reminder that the cost of keeping a young core is the storyline all season.
When is the Rockets' 2026-27 season opener?
October 21 at home against the Dallas Mavericks. It is the first of four games in six nights, including a back-to-back at San Antonio and Atlanta.
Who did the Rockets waive before the season?
Sean Pedulla left the team on October 20. Hoops Rumors reported Oscar Tshiebwe and Julian Phillips were converted to two-way contracts in the same move.
