Rockets Rumors

Mavericks Win 2025 NBA Draft Lottery; Spurs, Sixers, Hornets In Top 4

May 12th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have won the 2025 NBA draft lottery, jumping all the way from No. 11 in the lottery standings to No. 1 in the draft.

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick. Those are the longest odds for any team that has won the lottery since the NBA revamped the format prior to the 2019 draft.

The Mavs’ unlikely lottery victory puts them in position to select consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg, the Duke star who led the Blue Devils to the Final Four as a freshman and was named the ACC Player of the Year, as well as the Naismith College Player of the Year.

The full lottery order for the 2025 draft is as follows:

Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs
Philadelphia 76ers
Charlotte Hornets
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
New Orleans Pelicans
Brooklyn Nets
Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets (from Suns)
Portland Trail Blazers
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks (from Kings)
San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks)

It’s an incredible turn of events in Dallas, where general manager Nico Harrison and his front office have been hammered by fans and pundits alike for the last three-plus months for their decision to trade franchise player Luka Doncic to the Lakers at February’s deadline. Now the Mavs are poised to add another cornerstone and a potential All-Star in Flagg, who will join Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving on the new-look roster.

As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, this is the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavs ended up with a better pick than their odds dictated.

The lottery results feature plenty of fascinating stories beyond Dallas’ win, starting with the Spurs‘ pick moving up from No. 8 in the pre-lottery order to No. 2 in the draft. Dylan Harper of Rutgers is widely viewed as the second-best prospect in this year’s class behind Flagg and will be the frontrunner to join an up-and-coming San Antonio roster that already features Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.

When it was revealed on ESPN’s broadcast that the Mavericks and Spurs had moved into the top four, it momentarily looked as if the Sixers would lose their top-six protected pick, which appeared poised to slide to No. 7 and be sent to the Thunder. However, Philadelphia was among the lucky clubs to move up, claiming the No. 3 pick and hanging onto the selection for at least one more year. The 76ers will now owe their 2026 first-rounder, with top-four protection, to Oklahoma City.

The Hornets, who entered the lottery as one of three teams tied for the best odds at the first overall pick (14%), moved down one spot from No. 3 to No. 4. The Jazz and Wizards, who posted the NBA’s two worst records during the regular season, were even less fortunate, falling four spots each and coming in at No. 5 and No. 6.

That’s a worst-case scenario for those two clubs, who came into the night hoping to add a centerpiece like Flagg or Harper for their rebuild and instead dropped as far as they could have. There was a 47.9% chance Utah would end up at No. 5, but just a 20% chance Washington would slide all the way to No. 6.

The Pelicans were among the night’s biggest losers as well, slipping from No. 4 in the pre-lottery order to No. 7 when three teams leapfrogged them. The Nets and Raptors each dropped two spots to No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, while the Rockets (No. 10, via the Suns) and Trail Blazers (No. 11) slid one spot.

Although the Bulls didn’t move from their pre-lottery slot of No. 12, they had one of the biggest heartbreaks of the night — they finished with the same regular season record as the Mavericks and lost a coin flip last month for the No. 11 spot in the lottery. If they had won that tiebreaker, it would be the Bulls, not the Mavs, whose ping-pong ball combination was drawn for the top pick on Monday.

The lack of movement at the very back of the lottery means the Kings‘ pick, which came in at No. 13, will be sent to the Hawks, as expected. That selection – from the 2022 Kevin Huerter trade – was top-12 protected, so Sacramento only would have kept it if it had jumped into the top four.

The Spurs’ second pick of the lottery, courtesy of the Hawks, didn’t move from No. 14.

The NBA has posted a 13-minute video of the lottery drawing on social media.

Spurs, Rockets In Best Position To Pursue Giannis?

May 12th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to make any decisions about his future with the Bucks, as Shams Charania of ESPN reported today and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirms. But with Charania suggesting that Antetokounmpo is becoming more “open-minded” about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee and executives converging on Chicago this week for the NBA draft combine, speculation about the two-time MVP’s future with the Bucks is running rampant.

Stein, Grant Afseth of RG.org, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter video link) are among the reporters who have pointed to the Spurs and Rockets as the two top teams to watch as potential Antetokounmpo suitors in the event he requests a trade.

As Windhorst explains, those teams are obvious fits because they have the ability to offer quality young players along with draft picks that aren’t their own in a package for Giannis.

Since the Bucks don’t control their own first-round picks for the coming years, they may not be inclined to launch a full-fledged rebuild if they trade Antetokounmpo. They also might not highly value draft picks coming directly from the team acquiring the star forward, since the picks from a Giannis-led team likely wouldn’t land high in the first round.

Windhorst, Stein, and Afseth also identify the Pelicans as a team to watch as a possible facilitator in any Antetokounmpo deal. If the Bucks do want to hit the reset button, reacquiring their own draft picks could be an important part of their plan, and New Orleans controls those picks in the short term. The Pelicans have the ability to swap picks with Milwaukee in both 2026 and 2027 (top-four protected).

Here’s more on a superstar who has suddenly become a popular subject of trade speculation:

The Nets have long been known to covet Antetokounmpo and are ready to pounce if he becomes available, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While Brooklyn’s cap flexibility collection of future draft assets could make the club an intriguing suitor, Windhorst notes that the Nets don’t have as much young talent as some of the other teams that would likely be part of the bidding.
Do the Heat have the assets necessary to get involved in the potential Antetokounmpo sweepstakes? Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald explores that question, concluding that there are several other teams who could outbid Miami. The Heat would probably only have a legitimate chance at the Bucks star if he were to exert leverage by putting them atop his wish list, Chiang adds.
Afseth cites the Hawks as a possible dark-horse Antetokounmpo suitor, noting that Giannis’ agent – Alex Saratsis of Octagon – is among the player representatives Atlanta is believed to be evaluating as a possible candidate to lead the team’s front office. Head coach Quin Snyder, who has a role in personnel decisions, is also represented by Octagon, Afseth observes.
In his look at potential trade packages for Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Bobby Marks identifies the Rockets and Spurs as the best overall fits, the Nets and Jazz as the teams best positioned to put together offers heavy on draft picks, and Pistons, Grizzlies, Thunder, Pelicans, Magic, and Sixers as possible wild cards.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic considers how the Bucks might be able to sell Antetokounmpo on the idea of remaining in Milwaukee by treating 2025/26 as a “gap year” and building a younger, more flexible roster around him in the long term.

Rockets Don’t Plan To Pursue Kevin Durant, Devin Booker

May 12th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Rockets make a major trade this summer, it probably won’t be with the Suns, sources tell Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Houston has frequently been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant, who’s expected to be one of the top names on this year’s trade market. Iko and Amick hear that Durant would be very interested in joining the Rockets, but team sources tell them “significant reservations” remain because of Durant’s age.

Durant will turn 37 in September, which puts him far of out range with the timeline Houston has established by building up a young core over the last four drafts. Durant is still productive — averaging 26.6 PPG in 62 games this season with .527/.430/.839 shooting numbers — and he could provide the closer that the team lacked in its first-round loss to Golden State. However, the Rockets are wary of giving up significant assets to add someone who may be nearing the end of his career.

Rockets sources tell the authors that previous trade talks between the teams regarding Durant were initiated by the Suns, including discussions held prior to this year’s deadline.

The Rockets have also changed their minds about pursuing Suns guard Devin Booker, according to Iko and Amick. The front office hasn’t lost faith in 23-year-old guard Jalen Green despite his playoff struggles, and he’s seen as a preferable alternative because he’s five years younger than Booker and makes about $66MM less over the next three seasons.

Houston once had “serious interest” in acquiring Booker, but that faded over the past year as he wasn’t able to help a talented but dysfunctional Phoenix team reach the play-in tournament. Booker experienced a subpar shooting season, connecting at just 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range, well below his figures from recent years.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia has declared that won’t consider parting with Booker, so Houston’s apparent lack of interest may not be that significant.

Rockets sources also tell Iko and Amick that the team won’t pursue Zion Williamson if the Pelicans‘ new front office makes him available. Williamson, who was limited to 30 games this season with a variety of ailments and has played just 214 total games in six years, is viewed as too risky by Houston’s management.

According to Iko and Amick, the player who would spark the most interest from the Rockets is Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, even though he would carry the largest price tag. Antetokounmpo is an MVP finalist this year and at age 30, he’s still considered young enough to fit the timeline.

The authors note that there are a few concerns about Antetokounmpo, who wouldn’t solve the team’s issues with outside shooting that were exploited in the playoffs. He prefers serving as a primary play-maker on offense, and his presence in the paint would create challenges alongside Alperen Sengun, assuming Sengun isn’t moved as part of a potential deal.

A report earlier today indicates that Antetokounmpo plans to reevaluate his future in Milwaukee, so we may find out soon how serious the Rockets’ interest is.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Reportedly Consider Leaving Bucks

May 12th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become open-minded about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee for the first time in his career, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Teams have routinely called to check on Antetokounmpo’s potential availability in recent years, and that process is expected to intensify as they gather in Chicago this week for the draft combine, Charania adds.

Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, will meet with Bucks officials at some point to discuss the team’s future and determine whether Milwaukee is still the best fit for their client, according to Charania’s sources. The Bucks are reportedly resistant toward the idea of trading Antetokounmpo, who is still under contract through the 2026/27 season and holds a $62.8MM player option for the following year, and are unlikely to pursue a deal unless he requests it.

Speculation about a possible Antetokounmpo trade has been rampant since the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers last month, marking the third straight year they have been ousted in the first round. Antetokounmpo has been open about his desire to add another championship to the one he captured in 2021, and there are doubts regarding whether he still has any hope of achieving that in Milwaukee.

The situation became more dire with the torn left Achilles that Damian Lillard suffered in Game 4 of the Indiana series. Lillard underwent surgery last week and faces a lengthy rehab process that could force him to miss all of next season. That would leave the Bucks without a second star to team with Antetokounmpo and little chance to acquire one as Lillard remains on the books for $54.1MM next season with a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27.

Charania notes that Antetokounmpo, a finalist for MVP honors, just completed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games while shooting 60.1% from the field. He raised those numbers in the playoffs, posting 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per night in the five-game loss.

Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the greatest players in Bucks history since being selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. He’s a two-time MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he delivered the team’s first NBA title in 50 years.

According to Charania, Milwaukee’s .663 winning percentage since 2018/19 is the best in the league. However, the Bucks only have one playoff series victory since their 2021 championship season.

If Antetokounmpo goes on the market, teams that can offer young talent and a stockpile of draft assets are considered to be the most likely destinations. The Rockets, Spurs, Thunder and Nets have already been mentioned prominently in trade speculation, but Milwaukee’s front office would likely hear offers from all 29 rival teams.

Charania notes that the Bucks have an opportunity to remake their roster this summer, with Kyle Kuzma, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith joining Antetokounmpo and Lillard as the only players currently under contract. Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. hold player options for next season, and they could decide to join Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. as free agents.

However, the Bucks are already facing cap concerns as Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will earn roughly $130MM of the $164MM they already have committed for 2025/26. General manager Jon Horst has limited draft assets to offer in any trade, with the franchise not controlling any of its first-round picks until 2031.

Charania notes that the Bucks were able to escape the second apron with the Kuzma trade in February, but they still have limited breathing room heading into the summer. They’re currently about $23MM below the luxury tax and $41MM away from a return to the second apron for next season.

Charania points out that even a modest offseason that includes re-signing Lopez, using the $14.1MM non-taxpayer midlevel exception and filling out the roster with minimum-salary signees would put Milwaukee into tax territory for the sixth straight year.

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Draft Lottery Outcomes

May 11th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Fans of NBA teams who own a pick (or two) in this year’s lottery will obviously be rooting for their favorite club to get lucky on Monday and claim the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, putting them in position to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg.

But what about the fans who don’t have a personal rooting interest in Monday’s event? What outcome should they be hoping for? Would it be more interesting for Flagg to become the centerpiece of a rebuilding team that badly needs one, like the Jazz or Wizards? Or would it be more fun to see him join a team with some established talent that only ended up high in the lottery due to injuries, like the Pelicans or Sixers?

Here are all the teams that have a shot at the No. 1 pick, as our breakdown of the lottery odds indicates:

Utah Jazz (14%): The Jazz have made five first-round picks in the past two drafts, but none of those players looks like an obvious franchise cornerstone. They bottomed out this season in the hopes of landing one.
Washington Wizards (14%): If the Wizards ended up with the first overall pick, they’d be adding Flagg to a young core that includes Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington.
Charlotte Hornets (14%): The Hornets almost certainly would’ve been a lottery team even if they’d been healthy in 2024/25, but injuries to key players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams are the main reason they’re this high in the lottery standings.
New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%): Perhaps no team was hit harder by the injury bug this past year than the Pelicans, whose decision on Zion Williamson‘s future (keep or trade) would be all the more interesting if they were able to add Flagg.
Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%): While Joel Embiid‘s health remains a major question mark going forward, no Eastern Conference team would want the Sixers to get the chance to add Flagg to a group that features Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
Brooklyn Nets (9%): The Nets reacquired control of their first-round pick from Houston last offseason, anticipating that they’d be in this position. That trade would pay off in a massive way if they get lucky on lottery night.
Toronto Raptors (7.5%): The Raptors have a crowded forward depth chart already, with Brandon Ingram joining Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Adding Flagg to the mix would create a pretty unbalanced roster, but they’d absolutely welcome that problem.
San Antonio Spurs (6.7%): Besides their own pick (6.0%), the Spurs also control the Hawks’ first-rounder (0.7%), giving them two outside shots at No. 1. Given that the Spurs won the lottery for Victor Wembanyama just two years ago, it would feel a little unfair for them to luck into Flagg too, but that duo would be very fun to watch together.
Houston Rockets (3.8%): The 52-win Rockets, who control Phoenix’s first-round pick, have no shortage of young talent on their roster already. Winning the lottery would be a case of the rich getting richer, especially considering that Houston also has extra future draft assets that could be used as trade chips for additional upgrades.
Portland Trail Blazers (3.7%): Portland’s young core features plenty of intriguing talent, including Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson, but they’d love to add one more long-term keeper to that group before they start trying to contend. For what it’s worth, the Hawks moved up from this spot in the lottery standings to No. 1 last year.
Dallas Mavericks (1.8%): Jumping up to No. 1 might be karmic justice for fans in Dallas, who were devastated by this year’s Luka Doncic trade. But would it feel right for general manager Nico Harrison to be rewarded with a new franchise player after making that Doncic deal? Either way, adding Flagg to a roster that features Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving would certainly qualify as intriguing.
Chicago Bulls (1.7%): The Bulls have begun leaning into a rebuild this past year, having traded away Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. They’ll probably need to tear things down further if they want to have a legitimate shot at a top pick, but you never know.
Sacramento Kings (0.8%): The Kings’ top-12 protected pick will likely be sent to Atlanta at No. 13, but there’s a 0.8% chance of them moving up to No. 1. After a tumultuous year that saw Sacramento fire head coach Mike Brown and GM Monte McNair and trade star point guard De’Aaron Fox, new head of basketball operations Scott Perry would love to begin his tenure by seeing this long shot of less than 1-in-100 come through.

We want to know what you think. Outside of your favorite team, which club would you most like to see win the draft lottery on Monday evening? Which outcome would be a worst-case scenario, in your view?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Rockets, VanVleet Push Back Team Option Deadline

May 7th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

May 7: As expected, the Rockets and VanVleet have agreed to move back the decision deadline for his team option, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The new decision date for Houston will be the league-wide deadline, June 29.

May 6: The Rockets are looking to buy more time to decide what to do with Fred VanVleet‘s contract. They hold a $44.89MM club option on VanVleet’s contract for next season and a decision is currently due on Friday, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (Twitter link), Houston’s management is currently in discussions with VanVleet’s representatives to delay that decision until the end of June, just prior to free agency.

The default league-wide deadline for option decisions is June 29, but a player and team can set an earlier deadline by including that language in their contract agreement. That was the case with VanVleet’s deal, which calls for a decision five days after Houston’s season ends.

Amending the deadline would give the Rockets more time to weigh their options and perhaps increase VanVleet’s chances of receiving that $44.9MM salary next season, assuming the team would otherwise decline the option this Friday.

Following the Rockets’ elimination from the playoffs on Sunday, VanVleet and the Rockets expressed mutual interest in continuing their relationship.

“Obviously, I put my heart and soul into this and this is where I want to be,” VanVleet said. “It’s definitely a family situation. I’ve got a lot of love for our coaching staff and (general manager) Rafael (Stone) and the Fertitta family and just what we set out to do when I had my free agent meeting two years ago and we’re on that track. It was never a short-term vision — it was a long-term goal. We’re on track, we’re on schedule.”

However, VanVleet’s salary number is a huge hit on the books for a team looking to improve the roster after getting bounced in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs by Golden State. The Rockets could decline the option, then negotiate a multiyear deal at a lesser salary. If Houston declines the option, VanVleet would be an unrestricted free agent but the Rockets would hold his Early Bird rights.

Alternatively, if the Rockets decide they’re comfortable with that $44.9MM cap charge next season, they could also exercise the option and explore a more team-friendly extension that begins in ’26/27.

Rockets GM Stone Talks Green, Continuity, Adams, More

May 7th, 2025 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a 38-point outing in Game 2, fourth-year guard Jalen Green struggled mightily in the Rockets‘ first-round playoff series vs. Golden State, averaging 13.3 points per game with a .372/.295/.667 shooting line in the first seven postseason games of his career. Those numbers were well below his regular season marks of 21.0 PPG on .423/.354/.813 shooting.

Speaking to reporters, including Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), at an end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, general manager Rafael Stone defended Green, noting that “one playoff series doesn’t define a player.”

“Jalen didn’t have the series that he wanted to have, or we didn’t,” Stone said. “But I think it’s a little bit of a double-edged sword in terms of trying to evaluate it, because their goal going into the series was to take him out, and that was obvious.

“… We are not a team built around any one player offensively, whether Jalen or Alperen (Sengun) or Amen (Thompson) or Fred (VanVleet). And so if your goal is to take out one of our players, in theory, what should happen is that our other players should just punish it. And (head coach) Ime (Udoka) frequently talks to the guys about inviting double teams: hit the guy, and you’re the sacrificial lamb. And so, you know, in some games we punished it. In some games we didn’t, and one of the games we ended up with great spacing, and we were able to punish it with him.”

Udoka acknowledged that Green went through some “growing pains” in the postseason as the Warriors focused more defensive attention on him and said he has talked to the 23-year-old about areas to focus on this summer.

“I think physically getting stronger to absorb contact on some of his drives when he has the advantage, or finishing at the rim when he does get the driving lane, all those things are things we talked about with him going into the offseason,” Udoka said, per Lerner. “And (being) able to use him off ball a little bit more, and you got to get a little bit stronger as far as that because they took him out of some of those actions where they couldn’t trap him.”

While Green was more effective during the regular season than in the playoffs, there were still some troubling trends evident over the larger 82-game sample. Most notably, Houston had a +9.4 net rating when he was off the court, the highest off-court mark for any player on the roster. The team was a modest +2.8 during Green’s minutes.

“That’s a really flawed question,” Stone said when asked specifically about that on/off-court data. “I can make data say whatever I want it to say. And so, you know, I think we heavily use it but we’re very careful to try and really parse it out. And I would say that some of our very best lineups include him and so that piece by itself, I just think that’s just, yeah, that’s just not correct.”

The three-year, $105MM+ rookie scale extension that Green signed last fall will go into effect this July, so his cap hit will increase from $12.5MM this past season to $33.3MM in 2025/26.

Here are a few more highlights from Tuesday’s presser featuring Stone and Udoka:

The most pressing question in Houston this offseason is whether the front office will be looking to pursue a star on the trade market. Addressing that subject on Tuesday, Stone didn’t rule out the possibility, but suggested it’s not Plan A for the front office. “I will give you an inside betting tip that I think continuity is very, very likely,” the Rockets’ GM said, according to Lerner (subscription required). “Last summer, we didn’t make changes because we were really comfortable with where we were, and we’d seen really good things from our team in terms of kind of a good progression. And I think we saw more of the same this year. So I think the bar to make changes is very high.”
Stone did offer an important caveat to his comments about continuity: “I think continuity for continuity’s sake isn’t what we’re trying to achieve. Continuity is great, but the goal ultimately is to build a championship team. And if we think that there’s a move or a series of moves that make it more likely we will be that then, then we would ignore continuity, and we do those moves.”
Stone also observed that trading for an impact player doesn’t guarantee he “will be the same player in our environment that (he was) in the last one,” meaning the Rockets would proceed with caution and would be seeking the right fit if they go that route. As for whether or not Houston would target a player who fits the timeline of its young core in that hypothetical scenario, Stone confirmed that would be a consideration but not necessarily a deciding factor. “It’s more important how good you are and what you can bring,” he said. “But we do want to be very competitive for as long as we possibly can.”
Referring to this year’s Rockets as governor Tilman Fertitta‘s “favorite team he’s ever had,” Stone expressed confidence in the young core’s ability to continue improving after taking a significant step forward in 2024/25. “I think we’re on a very solid trajectory,” Stone said, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “But just because you’ve done it in the past doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to do it in the future. So, we have to continue to put in the work, which kind of starts on an individual basis, and not just with our players, (but) myself, my staff. We have to figure out around the edges, are there things we can do, including doing nothing. We have to do our jobs. Ime and his staff, they have to do theirs. We all have to come back a little better next year. But today, I’m very comfortable with our progression.”
Veteran center Steven Adams will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing a key role off the bench — his +9.4 net rating during the regular season and +14.1 mark in the postseason were both team highs. According to Stone, bringing back Adams will be an offseason priority for the front office. “He’s a really important part of the group, and kind of the continuity I talked about and the value earlier, he’s an important part of that,” Stone said, per Jonathan M. Alexander of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “It’s a two-way street. He has to want to be here. Every indication we have is that he does.”
In case you missed it, Stone also expressed optimism on Tuesday that VanVleet will “be with us for the foreseeable future.” The Rockets and VanVleet are reportedly exploring pushing back the decision deadline for his $44.9MM team option.

Rockets Notes: Offseason, Durant, VanVleet, Whitmore, Sheppard

May 6th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after winning 52 games and claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets didn’t see themselves as a legitimate championship contender this spring, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

The Rockets, making their first playoff appearance since 2020, knew the top-seeded Thunder were much further along in their title chase, according to Fischer, who writes that Houston’s goal this season was similar to Oklahoma City’s in the last year or two — evaluating a roster heavy on recent lottery picks to collect data and get a better sense of which players are long-term keepers and which ones might not be.

With their postseason run over, the Rockets will now have to weigh whether or not to pursue a major move on the trade market this summer, Fischer writes, noting that the team is expected to bring back most of its core and “proceed judiciously” going forward. General manager Rafael Stone didn’t contradict Fischer’s reporting when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

“The business we’re in, nobody’s untouchable,” Stone said (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic). “But we deeply value everyone on our roster. We have those (extra draft) picks, we accumulated them so we could draft guys or upgrade our current roster. We’ll see what makes the most sense.”

As Fischer details, pundits figure to repeatedly link Suns forward Kevin Durant to Houston this summer for a number of reasons — the Rockets control several Phoenix draft assets; Durant played college ball at Texas and played in Oklahoma City alongside close friend and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey; and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant during KD’s time in Brooklyn. However, Fischer insists that “more indications than not” suggests Houston’s interest in Durant has been overstated.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

After Fred VanVleet and Udoka expressed a desire to keep the point guard in Houston going forward, Stone declined to comment on any contract specifics on Tuesday, but confirmed that the Rockets want to retain VanVleet. “He’s been the person and player that we hoped we were getting and we’re very optimistic he’ll be with us for the foreseeable future,” Stone said, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
In a story for The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), Lerner poses five burning questions facing the Rockets this offseason, starting with whether or not they keep VanVleet and whether they’ll pursue a star. Lerner also considers whether Houston will extend Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, which of their own free agents they’ll try to re-sign, and how much this year’s draft matters to the team.
The Magic and Rockets share many of the same strengths and weaknesses, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests that both teams will be in the market for offensive upgrades this offseason. However, there appears to be one key difference between the two clubs, as Hollinger observes — Orlando needs to strengthen its supporting cast around star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, while Houston still needs to find an alpha dog, either inside or outside of the organization.
Within his analysis of the Rockets’ future, Hollinger points out that the team may soon need to make decisions on whether a pair of little-used rotation players are keepers. Former first-round pick Cam Whitmore has shown flashes of real promise, but hasn’t played consistently, while last year’s No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard spent most of his rookie season on the bench even though the organization reportedly thinks very highly of him. “We have had in-depth conversations with Cam probably more than anybody,” Udoka said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Lerner). “… Ton of potential there, but consistency is the main thing and he knows that.”

Thunder’s Sam Presti Named Executive Of The Year

May 6th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Sam Presti, the Thunder‘s executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager, has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for 2024/25, the league announced today (via Twitter). It’s the first time that Presti, who has run the Thunder’s front office since 2007, has earned the honor.

Presti, who built the Thunder around a young core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, made two notable moves last offseason to fortify the roster. He traded Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for defensive standout Alex Caruso and signed big man Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks in free agency.

Despite some injury woes that prevented Hartenstein and Holmgren from suiting up together until after the trade deadline, the Thunder dominated the NBA’s regular season in 2024/25, racking up a league-high 68 wins and recording a net rating of +12.7, one of the best marks in league history.

Oklahoma City ranked third in the NBA in offensive rating (119.2) and led the league in defensive rating (106.6) by a comfortable margin.

The Thunder, viewed as the heavy favorites to come out of the West this spring, remain well positioned to contend for years to come due not only to the talent already under contract but to their collection of future draft picks.

The Executive of the Year award is voted on by fellow team executives rather than by media members.

According to the NBA, Presti received 10 of 30 possible first-place votes and showed up on 22 ballots overall, earning 74 total points. He narrowly beat out Koby Altman of the Cavaliers (six first-place votes; 58 points) and Trajan Langdon of the Pistons (six first-place votes; 52 points), with Rafael Stone of the Rockets (four first-place votes; 38 points) coming in fourth.

A total of 13 executives showed up on at least one ballot, with Lawrence Frank (Clippers), Rob Pelinka (Lakers), Sean Marks (Nets), and Brad Stevens (Celtics) earning the remaining first-place votes. The full results can be viewed here (Twitter link).

Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson Named Coach Of Year

May 5th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kenny Atkinson has been named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link).

In his first year with the Cavaliers, Atkinson led the franchise to a 64-18 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Atkinson was hired by Cleveland after a three-year stint as one of Steve Kerr‘s top assistants with Golden State. Atkinson, who was also an assistant with three other NBA franchises, was Brooklyn’s head coach from 2016-20.

The Pistons‘ J.B. Bickerstaff and the Rockets’ Ime Udoka were the other finalists. Atkinson received 59 of the 100 first-place votes from the global media panel and accumulated 401 points in the voting. Bickerstaff earned 31 first-place votes and 305 points to finish second, while Udoka had seven first-place votes and 113 points.

After getting fired by the Cavs at the end of last season, Bickerstaff resurfaced in Detroit, where he led the Pistons to a stunning turnaround. Under Bickerstaff’s guidance, the Pistons improved from a franchise-worst 14 victories to 44 victories and a berth in the playoffs.

The Rockets finished second in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record, an 11-game improvement over their 2023/24 campaign.

Atkinson is the first Cavaliers coach to win the award since Mike Brown earned that distinction in 2009.

Outside of the finalists, only three other head coaches – Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Tyronn Lue (Clippers), and JJ Redick (Lakers) – showed up on Coach of the Year ballots, with Daigneault and Lue earning the remaining first-place votes. The full results can be found here.

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