The Houston Rockets entered the 2026 season with championship aspirations—the only logical reason to trade meaningful assets for a 37-year-old Kevin Durant. But what started as a title-or-bust campaign has ended in a humbling first-round exit, leaving the franchise with tough questions and no easy answers.
Injuries certainly played a role. Fred VanVleet's torn ACL was a devastating blow, but it also created an opportunity: without their veteran point guard, the Rockets could test their young core's readiness for bigger roles. The verdict? Not ready. Houston started strong, winning 25 of their first 40 games and outscoring opponents by over nine points per 100 possessions with Steven Adams on the floor. But when Adams suffered a season-ending Grade 3 ankle sprain, the team's offensive rating dropped from fourth to 14th in the league, and their defense slipped from third to ninth. So much for contending without VanVleet.
As the season wore on, expectations shifted. Maybe a championship wasn't realistic, but the Rockets still had Durant and their young talent. Surely they could win a playoff round, gain valuable experience for their developing players, and exit with some dignity. The bracket even offered a favorable path: a first-round matchup against a Los Angeles Lakers team missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Even that proved too much. Durant suffered an injury before the series and, despite returning for Game 2, couldn't turn the tide. The Lakers jumped to a 3-0 lead. Houston showed fight, winning Games 4 and 5, but ultimately fell 98-78 in Game 6 to close out the series.
The bar kept lowering over eight months, yet the Rockets couldn't clear it. Now, a team that invested heavily in the 2025-26 season leaves it with almost nothing to show. They logged over 2,800 minutes on Durant's aging body—and while he may still be a star next year, logic says he'll never be better than he was this season. VanVleet and Adams, both 32, face uncertain returns from their own injuries. But if this season taught the Rockets anything, it's how dependent they remain on a point guard who rarely gets to the rim, and how fragile their championship window truly is.