New NBA Rumors on Rockets' Potential Pursuit of 'Star-Level Talent' After Playoff Exit vs. Lakers

There is reportedly a belief within the NBA that the Houston Rockets may look to trade for another star this coming offseason after back-to-back first-round playoff exits.

According to William Guillory and Sam Amick of The Athletic, "many rival executives" expect the Rockets to "chase another star-level talent this summer."

"Similar to Durant, the Rockets won't necessarily pigeonhole or wed themselves to one type of star, but desired additions such as the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard, the Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 76ers' Joel Embiid, among others, will be discussed, sources said, but fit, opportunity cost and price go hand in hand," Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko added.

The Rockets swung a blockbuster deal for Kevin Durant last summer, but the result was the same, as they finished 52-30 and fell in the first round of the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

In order to land Durant, the Rockets parted with one of their best young players in Jalen Green, their best defender in Dillon Brooks and a first-round pick that was used on center Khaman Maluach.

That trade helped take the Suns from a 36-46 team in 2024-25 to a 45-37 playoff team in 2025-26.

Meanwhile, the Rockets finished with the same 52-30 record they had the previous season, and they fell in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs after losing in seven games to the Golden State Warriors last season.

Lakers-Rockets Highlights

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The 37-year-old Durant did essentially everything the Rockets could have hoped for during the regular season, appearing in 78 of 82 games and leading the team in scoring with 26.0 points per contest.

However, injuries caught up to KD come playoff time, as he missed five of Houston's six games against the Lakers, which perhaps contributed to the early exit.

As Guillory, Amick and Iko noted, Antetokounmpo, Leonard and Mitchell are potential trade targets for the Rockets this coming offseason.

All of them are perennial All-Stars who would make a sizable impact in Houston, but it comes down to what the Rockets would have to give up.

At least one or more of Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard would likely have to be included in a trade for one of those players, and there is a ton of risk involved with moving on from young, talented players of their ilk.

It is possible that such a trade would improve the Rockets overall and give them a better chance to contend next season, but it would also shorten their window of contention significantly.

The Rockets already made an all-in move by trading two important pieces to the Suns for Durant, so perhaps that increases the likelihood of a repeat this summer.