Rival's nightmare season could be even more painful for the Rockets

A Houston Rockets’ conference rival is having a nightmare season. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the Clippers’ mounting losses are a massive benefit for the Thunder.

They own their next pick.

It’s a situation Rockets fans know well. For the last few years, they’ve monitored the Nets and Suns in the standings as closely as they’ve watched their own team. Every time they lost, the Rockets won.

Well, the Rockets are following a model the Thunder established. They’ve stockpiled more picks than any team in NBA history. Those picks have landed in varying ranges of the draft, but the Thunder have drafted exceedingly well.

That said, it likely won’t take a genius to land a quality player with this upcoming Clippers pick.

Rockets rival will be gifted a high pick

Derrick Jones Jr. just sprained his MCL. He’s essential to the Clippers’ defensive gameplan. He’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Bradley Beal won’t. He’s done for the year. This is a Clippers team that badly needs backcourt depth. Chris Paul is averaging 2.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. This is almost certainly the last season of his career.

Kawhi Leonard has missed his last seven games. The Clippers have dropped eight of their last ten.

This is not going well.

If there’s a bright spot, it’s been James Harden’s ability to fend off the aging process. He’s averaging 26.2 points, 8.7 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. With a 5.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM), Harden is somehow still a superstar player.

Can he keep the Clippers afloat?

Rocket should expect Thunder to land in lottery

If the last ten games are any indication, the answer is a resounding no.

That’s not Harden’s fault. It’s him, Ivica Zubac, and a mediocre cast of (mostly aging) role players. That’s not a formula for success by any stretch.

I’ll be honest – there is no silver lining here. It would be nice to write that it’s OK, the 2026 Draft is seen as weak in the first place. OK:

But the Thunder own swap rights on the Clippers’ 2027 pick as well.

Ultimately, this was always the Rockets’ biggest issue. The NBA championship is going to run through Oklahoma City. They’re a budding dynasty, and they’ll be exceedingly difficult to beat.

The Rockets need to hope they can do it on the basketball court. Perhaps their ability to secure offensive rebounds and win the possession battle will give them the edge over the Thunder in just one postseason. Winning an NBA title is difficult, and the Thunder are in a prime position to keep doing it.

It looks like they’ll be adding high lottery picks for years to come.