Rockets blessed twofold in newest Future Power Rankings

The Houston Rockets have one of the brightest futures in the NBA. Just as relevantly, the Suns have arguably the league's bleakest outlook.

If you read this page, you know this mantra: What's bad for the Suns is good for the Rockets. Just to reiterate, the Rockets own two future Suns picks in 2027 and 2029.

So, any Rockets fans reading a Future NBA Power Rankings article ought to pay mind to where both the Rockets and Suns land. ESPN recently published such a list:

Life is looking good for the Rockets on both fronts.

Rockets ranked as having one of the league's brightest futures

ESPN feels that the Rockets have the second-brightest three-year outlook in the NBA, just behind (you guessed it) the Thunder.

That's generous. If anything, ESPN could have justified putting other teams ahead of the Rockets. The Cavaliers were a powerhouse last season, but they ranked fourth behind the Thunder and Knicks.

Yet, there's a meaningful difference between the Rockets (and Thunder) and the Cavaliers and Knicks. The two Eastern Conference teams are all-in on their current groups. They don't have the assets to make substantial improvements if necessary. The Rockets do:

That brings us to the Suns' ranking.

Rockets' rivals dead last in Power Rankings.

That's right. The Suns came in 30th.

"The Suns have no tradable firsts in the next seven years and have $23 million in dead money on their books in the next five years."

- Bobby Marks, ESPN

That is...rough. Brutal, actually. It's a good time to be thankful that you're not a Suns fan.

(Unless you're a Suns fan, in which case, this may not be the site for you.)

Other questions plague the Suns. Devin Booker has generally struggled as a point guard, but Rockets fans know Jalen Green won't keep the offense humming. Who is this team's floor general?

Who is the third option? Booker is a viable top dog, but Green is suspect as a second fiddle. After that, this is a roster full of defensive wings and raw big men.

On the subject of raw big men, Khaman Maluach might be years away. Mark Williams is routinely injured. The Suns' game plan at the 5 spot isn't much clearer than their offensive pecking order. The Suns have young talent, but they're lacking in elite prospects as well as elite current day players behind Booker.

Barring unexpected developments, the 2027 pick ought to be in the lottery. That dead money will even carry over to the summer of 2029. The Rockets may be eating well off the Suns for years to come:

And they've already got plenty on their plate.