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Bruski 150SportsEthos 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide
Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2026: Houston Rockets Team Preview
Last Updated on August 30, 2026 4:09 am by Mike Passador | Published: August 30, 2026
How’d We Get Here?
The acquisition of Kevin Durant was not the boost that the Rockets expected. Without Fred VanVleet, Houston struggled to find any real consistency on offense despite immense talent up and down the roster. Their glass-crashing identity took a big hit when Steven Adams suffered a season-ending ankle injury and the team didn’t have anything to hang its hat on. Amen Thompson struggled to adjust to a full-time PG role while Reed Sheppard fell short of earning Ime Udoka’s full trust. Alperen Sengun had flashes of brilliance but ended up as the same player we saw the year prior, warts and all, while Tari Eason’s hot start faded into a multi-month slump. Durant was his usual self, and that includes some unnecessary drama and overall weird vibes that hung over the team as they failed to fire on all cylinders. Jabari Smith had a career year but the Rockets were thumped by a Lakers team missing both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the first round of the playoffs, looking totally out of sorts from start to finish. Houston acquired Marcus Smart as their big offseason pickup, with rookie Bruce Thornton and the potentially washed Bogdan Bogdanovic standing out as the other additions of note. The return of VanVleet will be significant, but you can imagine that the front office wouldn’t expect FVV to be this critical given Durant, Thompson and Sengun, among others in the fold.
For a full recap of last season to set the table, check out our Houston Rockets Season Wrap!
The Houston Rockets Season Wrap
Offseason Moves
Arrivals: Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sean Pedulla (2W), Oscar Tshiebwe
Rookie Arrivals: Bruce Thornton (No. 31), Quadir Copeland (UDFA 2W), Rafael Castro (2W)
Departures: Josh Okogie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green, JD Davison, Tristen Newton
Retained: Tari Eason, Jae’Sean Tate
Depth Chart and Minutes Per Game
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Mike graduated from Boston University’s Dual Degree Program with a BA in Economics and a BS in Business with Concentrations in Marketing and Operations Management. He is a faithful supporter of Toronto sports and the Detroit Lions and is always ready to be let down. Tweet to him @Mike_Pandador, but if you badmouth Jose Calderon you might get blocked.
