1 Exhilarating possibility Rockets fans should not forget about as season begins

Houston Rockets fans have a lot to be excited about ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Internal development is to be expected. Alperen Sengun is barely half a leap away from All-Star status. If Jalen Green builds on his performance in March, he could join him there.

Reed Sheppard's debut will draw plenty of attention. Bringing Steven Adams on board should improve the squad as well. Plus, who knows?

The Rockets could still trade for a superstar.

Rockets fans may have forgotten blockbuster rumors

Have you forgotten about Kevin Durant?

The No Cap Room Podcast hasn't. They re-ignited the discussion about Durant joining the Rockets on a recent episode.

"There's clearly an appetite to do a consolidation move, I think...there was that reporting about them trying to get Kevin Durant that I don't think we should forget about"

- James Herbert, No Cap Room

This has been a rollercoaster. When the Rockets first traded for the Suns' picks, the reporting suggested that they were inevitably going to pursue Durant. There was quick pushback. It was then suggested that the Rockets were more interested in Devin Booker.

There's since been a broader consensus that the Rockets simply preferred a larger volume of picks to the ones they already had. Simply put, we don't know precisely why the Rockets traded their Nets picks for these Suns picks.

Was it to pursue Durant? Should it have been?

The Rockets' next decision could determine their future

Something is jarring about trading for a 35-year-old Durant.

The Rockets are built around a young core. Making the move for Durant changes everything at once.

Suppose they sent Jalen Green and the Suns' picks back to them for Durant. OK. There's no sense in surrounding Durant with still-developing players.

They probably keep Sengun, since he's already a star-level contributor. Tari Eason is a role player who compliments any roster. Otherwise? The Rockets may move everyone and everything.

Jabari Smith Jr. feels superfluous with Durant on the roster. Experimenting with Amen Thompson's role is a waste of Durant's time. So is waiting for Cam Whitmore to learn how to pass the ball. Reed Sheppard is a rookie - unless he's sensational during his maiden voyage, he's likely gone as well.

If the Rockets move for Durant, the most logical course would arguably be to package most (or all) of those guys and their own draft capital for another big name. Again - that's jarring. Still, you don't trade for Durant at this age if you don't intend on maximizing a short-term title window.

Yet, if the Rockets can find the right co-star...perhaps their best move is to capitalize on a short-term title window. Could a core group of Sengun, Durant, and Jimmy Butler compete for the NBA championship? How about Sengun, Durant, and Lauri Markkanen? Fred VanVleet is likely still on the roster in this scenario as well.

Is that enough ammunition to make a serious run at the big prize?

Full disclosure: it's not what we'd do. We would stay the course, keep this group together for another year or two, identify our franchise player, and trade for a younger star. That said, the Rockets can justify a number of directions in 2024-25:

That's part of what makes it so exciting.