The Rockets could assemble this insane lineup with some offseason moves

The Houston Rockets seem to value continuity.

Why not? Continuity is valuable. It's served the Rockets well this year. The chemistry that this team is building is palpable.

Yet somehow, there are constant calls to blow it up. Everyone wants the Rockets to make a blockbuster trade for a star

Perhaps that's an oversimplification. The Rockets have a strong roster full of talented young players, but they feel considerably short of serious title contention. It's sensible to think about ways they could improve their roster.

That doesn't mean they have to make a massive consolidation trade. There are ways that the Rockets can improve their roster and keep their major (young) rotation players with some creativity. With some deft maneuvering, they could make significant changes this summer.

Here's a series of moves that could revolutionize their 2025-26 title odds.

Rockets could land two aging stars in one offseason

You can likely anticipate where part of this proposal is going.

Kevin Durant. He's been heavily linked to the Rockets. He made some comments after the team's recent victory over his Suns that didn't nothing to quell those rumors.

Durant holds this group in high regard. He's seemingly got some interest in joining the team. Given his age and the Rockets' ownership of several of their future picks, it's not farfetched to imagine that the Rockets could land him without giving up any of their top-5 most-played young guys. A deal revolving around Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, and the aforementioned picks could get the job done.

What if the Rockets made that move - but they weren't done yet? What if they reunited Durant with one of the players that both he and the Rockets are most closely associated with?

Rockets could entertain James Harden reunion

Fred VanVleet has a team option this summer. James Harden has a player option. So if the team (the Rockets) and player had a mutual interest in reuniting...

Do I sound crazy? If anything, the NBA is crazy. When Durant and Harden teamed up in Brooklyn, it was seemingly Kyrie Irving's suspension that tore the team apart. If Durant and Harden are still on good terms, this is feasible.

Suppose the Rockets traded for Durant and signed Harden under these hypothetical conditions. Let's look at a hypothetical rotation.

C: Alperen Sengun / Steven Adams / Jabari Smith Jr.
PF: Kevin Durant / Jabari Smith Jr. / Tari Eason
SF: Amen Thompson / Tari Eason / Free Agent X
SG: Jalen Green / Free Agent Y / Aaron Holiday
PG: James Harden / Aaron Holiday / Free Agent Z

There are a few working assumptions here. It feels inevitable that Dillon Brooks would be heading out in the Durant trade. His salary would be crucial to making a Durant deal work. There's also an assumption that the Rockets would re-negotiate a team friendly deal with Adams, keep Holiday on as an affordable rotation piece, and round the roster out with some signings.

Is this anything more than fan fiction? That's to be determined. The Rockets may have no interest in Durant in the first place.

If you're reading the tea leaves, you can't dismiss this scenario. The specter of James Harden has hung over the Rockets from the moment he left. He remains a significantly more dynamic playmaker than VanVleet. If the Rockets think this team could play for the title in the next two or three years, they'll certainly be tempted to engineer this scenario.

Even if it disrupts their continuity.