Rockets Notes: Offseason, Young Players, Growth, More
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka addressed the media on Monday, a few days after the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season. Stone referred to the 2025/26 campaign as “frustrating and disappointing,” per Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“As is constructed and what we had, we still feel we should have won more than 52 (games). Still should have won the first-round series,” Udoka said. “We had some injuries there and (the Lakers) did as well but we had more than enough to get it done.”
While Stone said Houston would look at several pathways to improvement, he expects the team to be better in ’26/27 due to the injury returns of Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams — both of whom are on track to be fully healthy at the start of next season — and continued growth from the young core.
“My expectation is that Tari (Eason), Jabari (Smith Jr.), Reed (Sheppard), Alpi (Alperen Şengün) and Amen (Thompson) all need to be way better basketball players next year and I think they should be,” Stone said. “That’s on them. It’s on us. But I expect that growth from them.”
Stone also addressed the contract situations of Eason and Thompson, Shankar writes. Eason will be a restricted free agent this summer, while Thompson will be eligible for a rookie scale extension. Although Stone noted things could change, he’s high on both players and expects them to be on the roster for the foreseeable future.
Re-signing Eason would likely push the Rockets over the luxury tax again next season, Shankar notes, and Stone said owner Tilman Fertitta is willing to foot the bill.
“I don’t see Tilman ever wanting to take a step back that isn’t strategic,” Stone said. “If we weren’t (in the tax), it’s because of some opportunity to do something else that is basketball-related.”
We have more from Houston:
- Explaining why the Rockets decided not to pursue a point guard ahead of the deadline in the wake of VanVleet’s injury, Stone said the players who were available wouldn’t have been difference-makers. “No one guards (some point guards) after they make the initial pass and then on the other end, they’re just a sieve,” he said, per Shankar. “And those players do exist in the NBA. There’s quite a few of them and they’re available. But I didn’t think that would make us better on the whole.”
- According to Shankar, Stone said the Rockets would like to add more shooting — but not if doing so would negatively impact other parts of the team. “I don’t know that we’re gonna get a shooter who can’t do anything else but trying to find a quality player who, maybe their strength is shooting, I think that makes some sense,” Stone said.
- In another subscriber-only story, Shankar recaps the Rockets’ season, writing that the ultimate outcome was disappointing for a team that entered ’25/26 with championship aspirations. Still, it’s not as though the season was a total lost cause, as many of Houston’s young played improved in ’25/26, even if none looked like stars in the playoffs.
- In a third article for The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link), Shankar lists five key storylines to monitor this offseason, including whether Eason will be on the roster, what an extension for Thompson might look like, and whether VanVleet could re-sign with the club on a new contract rather than exercising his $25MM player option for ’26/27.
Rockets Notes: Durant, Offseason Plans, Sheppard, Harden
Injuries to Fred VanVleet in September and Steven Adams in the midst of the season affected the Rockets far beyond their on-court contributions, according to Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. With their two veteran leaders not in the lineup, there were fewer buffers against Kevin Durant‘s “moodiness,” which had an effect on the team’s younger players as the season wore on, sources tell the authors.
Durant provided the elite-level scorer that Houston was lacking during last year’s playoff appearance and was the team’s top player throughout the season, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 78 games. However, the fit behind the scenes became “increasingly complex,” according to Shelburne and MacMahon, highlighted by a burner scandal that emerged during the All-Star break.
A Twitter profile allegedly belonging to Durant posted several messages criticizing current teammates Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. along with former teammates Devin Booker and Stephen Curry, as well as Steve Kerr, Durant’s coach during his time with Golden State. Durant called the situation “Twitter nonsense,” but sources tell the authors that the team took the posts seriously and believed Durant was associated with them at the very least. Durant addressed the controversy after the break in “more of a team discussion than a meeting” before moving onto other topics, and a Rockets source told Shelburne and MacMahon that the team moved past it.
“I’ve heard that there were a couple people who were bothered by what he said on the burner account but none of them were in our locker room,” the source said. “I think Kevin might’ve been worried about it being a distraction to the team. But literally no one cared about it. The guys [he] mentioned are not sensitive about stuff said about them online.”
There’s more from Houston:
- The Rockets traded for Durant last summer because his price became low enough that they considered it affordable, not because they’re looking to move on from the young core they assembled over the previous four drafts, Shelburne and MacMahon add. After this year’s first-round exit, there has been speculation that Houston might try to deal for another star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard or Donovan Mitchell, but a high-ranking team source downplayed that possibility, saying the organization will be “opportunistic” this summer but hopes to follow Oklahoma City’s example and build a long-term contender around its young talent without making a blockbuster trade. “We aren’t thinking, ‘We’ve got to win now because we’re in KD’s window,'” the source said. “We are hyper-focused on our young core. Our five guys have a chance to win a lot of games together for a long time. We don’t want to make the mistake other teams have of giving up on guys too soon. We want a 10-year run.”
- The Rockets remain high on Reed Sheppard‘s long-term potential despite an up-and-down performance in this year’s playoffs, according to the authors. The team believes he could develop into an all-time great point guard in the mold of Steve Nash, which is why he was selected ahead of Stephon Castle in the 2024 draft. There’s less confidence around the league, with one scout comparing Sheppard more to Kerr than Nash.
- There has been mutual interest in a reunion with James Harden several times since he forced his way out of Houston in 2021, and sources tell Shelburne and MacMahon that Harden and his representatives explored a return this season after his Clippers team got off to a 6-21 start. There’s still affection for Harden in the organization, but Rockets officials were concerned that his presence might limit the development of Sengun, Sheppard and Amen Thompson. “We’re not really looking for a heliocentric player, as great as James still is,” a team source said. “We want to develop Reed, we want to develop Amen and we want the ball in Alpy’s hands.”
Rockets Notes: Durant, Eason, Udoka, Stone, Sengun
After falling in seven games last season in the first playoff appearance for their young core, the Rockets traded for Kevin Durant to help them reach a higher level. Their next moves are uncertain following this year’s first-round loss to the short-handed Lakers, according to William Guillory and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Durant missed almost the entire playoff series, first with a right knee contusion that kept him out of Game 1, then with a left ankle sprain and bone bruise that sidelined him for Games 3 through 6. In his lone appearance, he had 23 points, six rebounds and four assists along with nine turnovers in a Game 2 loss.
Coach Ime Udoka provided an update on Durant prior to Friday’s game, indicating that he wasn’t close to returning, Guillory tweets.
“The mobility is probably the biggest (issue),” Udoka said. “There is some pain. That’s something he’d have to tolerate. … Certain movements are bothering him for sure. He’s done some things on-court, but he’s limited with those. When you can’t do specific movements that hurt you or bother you, you can’t progress.”
The 37-year-old Durant was productive and surprisingly durable during his first season in Houston, leading the team in scoring and finishing second in the league in minutes while playing 78 games. However, Guillory and Amick confirm that allegations Durant trashed current and former teammates – including Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. – while using a burner account in group chats harmed team chemistry.
Several league sources with close ties to Rockets players confirm to the authors that the controversy brought a “significant distraction” to the team that was “never truly resolved internally.” Teammates reportedly agreed to keep their reactions to the situation private, and it’s not clear if Durant admitted that the accounts belonged to him.
Lingering bitterness over that situation is one of several factors that could determine whether Durant remains in Houston next season. At $43.9MM, he’ll be the highest-paid player on a team that’s hovering close to the tax line, and he holds a $46MM player option for 2027/28, so he’ll essentially be entering the season with an expiring contract. Guillory and Amick also cite concerns that the offense stagnated around Durant and Sengun, as teammates were unable to consistently hit shots to give them room to operate.
There’s more from Houston:
- Working out a new contract for restricted free agent Tari Eason will be among the Rockets’ offseason priorities, Guillory and Amick add. They report that the sides came close to an agreement worth more than $100MM before the October deadline, but decided to revisit negotiations this summer. While Eason appears to be a good investment at age 24, the authors point out that the roster is already becoming expensive, and Amen Thompson may sign a five-year extension valued at more than $250MM.
- There are no plans to replace either Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone, sources tell Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Ownership still has confidence in the team’s leadership structure, according to Iko, believing that the Rockets aren’t far behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio with Durant, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams all healthy. However, nothing is off the table in terms of upgrading the roster, Iko adds.
- Sengun, who has been mentioned as a possible trade chip if the Rockets pursue another star, addressed those rumors in a post-game session with the media on Friday, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I cannot do anything about those conversations,” Sengun said. “It is what it is. You stay with it. That’s the front office’s job to do it. I cannot do anything about it. But wherever I go or stay over here, I’m just going to stick with it, doing what I’m doing.”
Rockets Notes: Smith, Sheppard, Young Core, Durant
Fourth-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. raised some eyebrows when he said the Rockets were “obviously the better team” ahead of Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Lakers, but he backed up the statement by helping his team stave off elimination again, per Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle.
“It’s just a mindset to have,” said Smith, who had a team-high 22 points, seven rebounds and two blocks while playing solid defense. “I don’t care who we play, I don’t care what team I’m on. When we were winning 22 games (in his rookie season), I would probably have said we were the better team every night. I mean, people are gonna take it how they want to take it, but I don’t care. Whoever I’m with on the court. I’m gonna think that my team is better than the other team.”
The Rockets lost the first three games of the series, blowing a lead late in Game 3. But they now have a chance to even the series at three games apiece on Friday when they return to Houston.
Smith only averaged 20.4 minutes per game in last year’s playoffs, Young notes, but he’s at 42.0 MPG through five games in 2026. The former third overall pick has averaged 19.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.2 SPG in the series, which he’s hoping to extend further on Friday night.
“You can’t just say it and then come out and tuck your tail,” Smith said of his comment. “You’ve got to get out there fighting and do the things that it takes to win. So, I’m gonna stand on that statement, and we’ve just got to keep proving it.”
We have more from Houston:
- Late-game miscues from Smith and Reed Sheppard contributed to the Rockets’ Game 3 collapse, but Sheppard was more composed with the Lakers attempting another comeback on Wednesday, as Varun Shankar writes for The Houston Chronicle. The second-year guard made some key plays down the stretch, scoring four straight points after the Lakers went on a 11-1 run to get the game within three (Twitter video link). “We didn’t want to let that happen again,” said Sheppard, who played through a cold.
- No matter what happens the rest of the series, young players like Smith, Sheppard, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason have shown significant growth over the past two games, according to William Guillory of The Athletic. The Rockets have held L.A. below 100 points each of the past two contests. “Big-time performances by everybody across the board,” head coach Ime Udoka said Wednesday. “You start this really young lineup, and they are somewhat battle-tested now. (We needed to) show growth in certain moments and progress in certain moments. Obviously, in a game situation when you turn the ball over twice and foul a shooter (in Game 3’s collapse), you want to show growth, and I think we did that tonight.”
- ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday morning that Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) will remain sidelined for Game 6. The team hasn’t formally ruled him out yet, but he’s listed as doubtful, Guillory tweets, which suggests he’s unlikely to play.
Rockets Notes: Sengun, Eason, Smith Jr., Sheppard
The Rockets‘ 115-96 victory in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Lakers on Sunday gave them a glimmer of hope they can erase a 3-0 deficit. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday and Houston center Alperen Sengun is optimistic his team can bring the series back to Houston for a Game 6.
“The mood is good. We got one, but we’re not happy with it,” Sengun said, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. “We’re going back to L.A. to fight again, no matter what. … I think we have been confident, just missing the shots. In the last game, we played with pace. We made them turn over a lot. Everybody did their job great. I think everybody is still hungry, and we are going over there to get another one, and come back home, and make them a little nervous.”
Sengun has averaged 22.8 points, 1o.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in the series.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- Tari Eason played a huge role in the Game 4 win. He scored 20 points while hounding LeBron James on defense. The Lakers star had just 10 points with eight turnovers. “He’s just always flying around,” fellow forward Jabari Smith Jr. said, per Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle. “He always ends up coming up with a loose ball that just randomly seems like it just sticks to his hand. I’m used to it by now.” Eason will be a restricted free agent after the season.
- Speaking of Smith, he’s brimming with confidence that Game 4 was a turnaround rather than an aberration. “We’re obviously the better team, I feel,” he told Shankar at the team’s Tuesday practice. Smith went on to say that Houston is better than the Lakers “from top to bottom.”
- Reed Sheppard had a rough rookie season after being selected with the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft, He told Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic it took a toll on him. “It was tough. It was different. I wasn’t used to anything like that,” Sheppard said. The second-year guard has appeared in every game this season, including 21 regular season starts. He has scored exactly 17 points in three of the four games against the Lakers. “I think a lot of it is just trust in yourself. I’ve played basketball my whole life, and I’ve been in moments that you dream of as a little kid,” Sheppard said. “So, now that I’m here, it’s like just have fun, trust in yourself and trust the work that you put in.”
- Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Game 5. Get the details here.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Capela, Pelicans, Coward
After being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 playoffs due in large part to their offensive struggles, the Rockets went out and traded for Kevin Durant last summer. But as good as Durant has been over the course of the season, he hasn’t solved the team’s scoring issues, according to William Guillory of The Athletic.
As Guillory details, after missing Durant in the first game due to a knee injury, the Rockets were even worse offensively in his return in Game 2. Although the star forward made 7-of-12 shots from the floor and scored 23 points, he consistently faced double-teams and committed nine turnovers, matching his career playoff high.
The Rockets have controlled the possession battle against the Lakers, attempting 44 more field goals than Los Angeles through two games. But Houston has been outscored by 16 points and failed to reach the 100-point threshold in either game, with Alperen Sengun (15-of-39), Jabari Smith Jr. (12-of-30), and Reed Sheppard (6-of-24) not scoring efficiently.
“I definitely need to be aggressive when I get the ball to the middle. I’m just missing so many easy shots,” Sengun said after Tuesday’s Game 2 loss, per Guillory. “I need to get back to who I am and dominate the paint when I have the ball. (I’ve got to) help KD a little bit and make my teammates better as well. … I’m not missing from long distance. I’m missing from under the rim. I’ve got to make those.”
The Rockets converted just 7-of-29 (24.1%) three-point attempts on Tuesday, with Sheppard – their leading outside shooter during the regular season -only playing 11 minutes due to the fact that he hasn’t fully earned head coach Ime Udoka‘s trust on the defensive end of the court.
As Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) points out, the Rockets lack reliable three-point shooters who can hold their own defensively. Dorian Finney-Smith, Houston’s big 2025 free agent addition, was supposed to be that kind of player but hasn’t looked like his usual self since returning from offseason ankle surgery. Tari Eason also has a three-and-D profile, but he has been up and down all season, including in this series so far — after hitting 7-of-7 shots from the floor in Game 1, he made just 4-of-14 in Game 2.
As the Rockets head back home looking to turn their series around, here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Earlier in the season, former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton griped about the Lakers “trying to make me Clint Capela,” a reference to his role within the team’s offense. With his Rockets facing Ayton’s Lakers in the playoffs, Capela told Melissa Rohlin of The California Post that he was “surprised” when he learned of Ayton’s comments. “I don’t know why I’m in someone else’s head. I don’t talk to the guy,” Capela said. “I mean for me, in my career, I did what I did for my team, had a lot of success. So, it worked out for me.”
- The Pelicans have at least 25 vacancies across their basketball and business operations departments, according to Shamit Dua of In The N.O., who reports (via Twitter) that the medical and performance team has seven openings. As Dua explains (via Twitter), while many of those vacancies are the result of an organizational restructuring, some staff members also left the team at season’s end because they didn’t know whether or not their contracts would be renewed.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Pelicans‘ offseason, evaluating how they might go about upgrading their frontcourt and weighing which of the team’s veterans are the likeliest summer trade candidates. Based on the current make-up of New Orleans’ roster, Gozlan believes the front office should consider the possibility of rebuilding around Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears and moving several vets.
- After a promising rookie year, forward Cedric Coward is expected to play for the Grizzlies‘ Summer League team ahead of his second NBA season, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who takes a look at what other young players on Memphis’ roster are likeliest to join Coward.
Rockets Notes: Durant, Finney-Smith, VanVleet, Adams, Smith
In a lengthy interview with Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle (subscription required), general manager Rafael Stone stated that the Rockets are “very happy” with what they’ve gotten from Kevin Durant since trading for him last summer and expressed satisfaction with the steps forward the team’s younger players have taken over the course of the 2025/26 season.
Stone added that he remains high on the Rockets’ roster and would’ve liked to see it fully healthy, with starting point guard Fred VanVleet available. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll simply run back the same group and hope for better health luck, but Houston’s general manager also suggested that he’s not anticipating a roster overhaul this summer.
“Someone in my shoes should never say I’m going to make huge changes or I’m not going to,” Stone said. “There are teams I suppose that have run their course where players are older, maybe a reset is needed. I guess that was the first year of my tenure. But since then, you do what the market dictates and the opportunities presented to yourself. But I like this team. I think we’ve seen growth throughout the course of the year with individual players getting better.“
Stone also addressed last season’s free agent addition of Dorian Finney-Smith, which hasn’t worked out like the team had hoped. Finney-Smith’s season debut happened later than expected due to his recovery from offseason ankle surgery and he registered career lows in points (3.3) and minutes (16.8) per game, as well as field goal percentage (33.3%) and three-point percentage (27.0%). Still, Stone said he didn’t regret the signing and that it wouldn’t change how the front office operates going forward.
“I mean, I would do that acquisition again,” he told Shankar. “I think the player he was the last few years really fits our style of play and I expect he’s going to be a super contributing member next year. Everything is a calculated risk, and we were obviously not surprised that he had surgery, he’d had it months before we (signed) him and we understood that it takes time to come back and that there’s some risk when one comes back, that it’s not fluid, which in this case turned out to be the case. There’s risk in every single transaction you do.”
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- According to Stone, both VanVleet (ACL tear) and center Steven Adams (ankle surgery) are making good progress in their injury recoveries and remain on schedule to return to action in the fall. “They should be fully cleared well in time to ramp up for the season,” the GM told Shankar.
- Stone is confident about VanVleet’s ability to reintegrate into the lineup next season and play alongside Reed Sheppard and/or Amen Thompson, referring to the veteran point guard as an “enhancer” who makes other players better. During his ACL recovery, he had to do that from the sidelines by imparting his knowledge to Sheppard and Thompson as they took over point guard duties. “I’ve watched Fred play pretty much my whole life … he’s been a great leader, especially for me, a great coach,” Sheppard said, per Shankar (subscription required). “He’s just been able to show me different things and it’s easier to learn and get into it when it’s a guy like Fred and you watched him play and watched him do it.”
- Former No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. admits that he came into the NBA envisioning himself as the sort of primary scorer who “gets the ball every play,” but the Rockets have appreciated his willingness to sacrifice and take on the sort of complementary roles the club needed from him, Shankar writes in another Chronicle story (subscription required). “Jabari is the ultimate pro and a selfless player,” Udoka said. “He understands what the team needs and provides a bunch of different roles for the team but as most young guys are, he’s ambitious.” Smith’s five-year, $122MM rookie scale extension will begin in 2026/27.
- In yet another article for the Chronicle (subscription required), Shankar identifies stars Durant and Alperen Sengun and role player Tari Eason as the three Rockets with the most at stake in the team’s first-round playoff series vs. the Lakers. Eason will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, so a strong postseason could increase his chances of securing a lucrative long-term contract.
Wembanyama, White Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named February’s Defensive Player of the Month for the Western Conference, while Celtics guard Derrick White has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Wembanyama, who is the betting favorite for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, led the NBA in blocks per game (3.5) in February, increasing his league-best mark to 2.9 BPG. According to the NBA, he also ranked second in the Western Conference in defensive rebounds per game (9.3) as the Spurs enjoyed a perfect month (11-0).
San Antonio’s league-best +15.1 net rating in February was buoyed by a defensive rating of 106.2, which was the second-best mark in the league and ranked first among Western Conference teams. That rating improved to 100.0 during Wembanyama’s 323 minutes and dipped to 111.1 when he wasn’t on the floor.
Wembanyama was also named the West’s Defensive Player of the Month in January, so he’s the first repeat winner in either conference so far this season.
The Celtics were the only team with an overall defensive rating (105.5) better than the Spurs’ mark in February, and White was a crucial part of that effort. Despite standing just 6’4″, the veteran guard averaged 1.7 blocks per game for the month, which ranked third in the East. He also contested 75 shots, the highest total among guards, per the NBA.
As was the case with Wembanyama in San Antonio, the Celtics posted a defensive rating of just 100.0 when White was on the court in February.
Wembanya’s teammate Stephon Castle was among the other nominees for Defensive Player of the Month in the Western Conference, along with Clippers guard Kris Dunn, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., and Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace (Twitter link).
Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson were nominated in the East.
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Mavs, Spurs, J. Smith
Prior to Friday’s loss vs. Memphis, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd confirmed that Khris Middleton is a buyout candidate ahead of Sunday’s deadline to be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another club, per Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Mavs (Twitter video link).
“That’s up to Khris,” Kidd said. “We support whatever decision he makes if he’s going to stay or if he’s gonna get bought out. But I think he’s gotta make that decision here pretty quick.”
As reported by Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Middleton is evaluating whether to finish out his expiring contract with Dallas or to reach a buyout agreement to sign with a playoff team. The Nuggets and Spurs are said to be among the teams with interest in the 34-year-old small forward.
According to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, NBA personnel have been keeping close tabs on Middleton since he was traded to the Mavericks ahead of this month’s deadline. One scout likes what he’s seen of the 14-year veteran, while an anonymous executive said Middleton might be better off staying with Dallas — the three-time All-Star would forfeit his Bird rights if he agrees to a buyout.
“His numbers have been down quite a bit — and his efficiency never recovered with the Wizards,” the executive told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “He might be best off playing this season out in Dallas where they’re letting him play his game and build some momentum for himself going into free agency. He’s going to get minutes and touches in Dallas. That may not be consistent on a contender. He could join a contender in the summer. I understand the appeal of joining a contender now, though.”
That same front office employee told Afseth that Middleton could help the Mavericks, but it’s not a straightforward situation.
“When he’s in a rhythm, he’s going to help a team win games. That may hurt the Mavericks’ chances of maximizing draft position now,” the executive said. “But he’s a great locker room guy. He’s genuine about helping younger teammates. That’s a good veteran to have on your team. He’d be a piece that could help them when Kyrie Irving is healthy and ready to go next season. You want vets like [Middleton] around Cooper Flagg.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- During Thursday’s game vs. Sacramento, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts joined the team’s broadcast and said governor Patrick Dumont decided not to raise ticket prices for 2026/27 because the Mavs didn’t meet expectations, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “It was one of the strangest meetings I’ve been in in my 48 years in the league, where you sit down with the owner,” Welts said. “The staff has done two months of work to figure out where tickets might be underpriced. Patrick preempted the conversation before it got started and said, ‘Look, we didn’t deliver this year. We didn’t deliver on the team as expected. We’re not going to raise one ticket price this year.’ A popular decision. The right one as well.”
- Thursday’s win at Brooklyn marked the Spurs‘ 11th consecutive victory, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs went undefeated in February, the third time the team has had an unblemished month. “It feels like the players are finding different ways to win,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That’s a sign of growth.” Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a closer look at San Antonio’s undefeated month, writing that a variety of players contributed on a game-to-game basis. The Spurs have also found ways to win even when they aren’t playing their best. “Does (the undefeated month) mean it was perfect? Not at all,” Victor Wembanyama said. “But looking back, it’s never really perfect. So it’s pretty satisfying.”
- Fourth-year Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was sidelined for Saturday’s game in Miami and will miss Monday’s game at Washington as well, per Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Smith, who sprained his right ankle in Thursday’s comeback win in Orlando, is targeting next Thursday against Golden State for his return to the court, Shankar adds.
Southwest Notes: J. Smith, Borrego, Marshall, Ingram
The Rockets pulled off a comeback victory in Orlando on Thursday night, their fourth win in five games since the All-Star break, but they lost forward Jabari Smith Jr. late in the game. Smith suffered an ankle injury with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter (NBA.com video link), though head coach Ime Udoka expressed optimism after the game that it wasn’t serious.
“He stepped on Alperen (Sengun)‘s foot and rolled his ankle,” Udoka said (Twitter video link via Space City Home Network). “I think it’s a game-to-game thing, day-to-day. It doesn’t look too terrible.”
Smith has been playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career in recent weeks and has started 57 of Houston’s 58 games this season, so if he has to miss some time, it would require the team to tweak its starting five and rely more on reserve wings and bigs like Josh Okogie, Clint Capela, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- James Borrego hasn’t played it safe as the Pelicans‘ interim head coach since he took over for Willie Green, says Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). Walker praises Borrego for his willing to make bold lineup decisions, including starting rookie Derik Queen and bringing highly paid veteran Jordan Poole off the bench for most of the season. “There are no egos,” said Dejounte Murray, who has replaced Queen in the starting five in his first two games back from an Achilles tear. “Nobody is pouting. We have young guys who were starting. They went to the bench and took it like they should take it. I give a lot of credit to them for that. We are all here to win and longevity is the key for everybody.”
- Mavericks forward Naji Marshall showed on Thursday why the team had no interest in moving him at this month’s trade deadline. As Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal details, Marshall became just the third undrafted player since the 1983/84 season to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game — he got to 36, 10, and six vs. Sacramento and was a +3 in 42 minutes in a game Dallas lost by nine points. “If healthy, I don’t know if he’s gonna play 42 minutes,” head coach Jason Kidd said, lauding Marshall for maintaining his compete level in an expanded role. “But shorthanded, he’s taken full advantage of his minutes. His ability to get into the paint and finish, get to the free throw line — he led the team in rebounds. He’s doing it all.”
- Spurs two-way player Harrison Ingram has only appeared in five games at the NBA level this season, but he’s thriving with the team’s G League affiliate in Austin. Ingram earned NBAGL Player of the Week honors after averaging 22.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in five games last week (Twitter link).