Rockets' timeline for next marquee move becomes crystal clear

Recently, ESPN's Brian Windhorst took note of the fact that the Houston Rockets have been adding contracts that either dip down or expire in the 2027 offseason. It may or may not be a coincidence that 2027 would be the same summer that Amen Thompson would be eligible for a potential max contract extension.

It's a smart move if you're Houston. You know that you have a pretty big window to win a championship right now, and especially after adding Kevin Durant. This team was the second seed in the Western Conference this past season, and that's no easy feat with all the stacked teams in the West. They may have sacrificed a couple of rotation guys, but it'll probably end up being worth it for the sake of adding Durant.

Then on top of that, Houston added several other guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Josh Okogie that are going to be crucial in helping this team make a deep postseason run. It's not just the biased opinions of Rockets fans that this team is positively stacked, it should be clear to even the biggest Houston haters at this point.

The Rockets are gearing up for another big move in the summer of 2027

So of course the next two years offer an obvious title window, but it seems the Rockets' decision-makers are being intentional about creating greater opportunity beyond even that. And that's of course wise when you have a young star like Amen Thompson on the rise, who could eventually blossom into something truly great.

If the Rockets are thinking about contending beyond the 2026-27 season, it's very possible they're going to be thinking about doing that through the lens of having Thompson as the best player on the roster. There's a ton of room for him to improve his jump shot and all-around offensive game, and it's not a long shot whatsoever that becomes the case.

So obviously, what makes the most sense for Houston is getting ready to have plenty of cap room that summer. Not only can you negotiate a potentially big deal for your star, but you can also have room left over to bring in a high-level free agent that would complement Thompson and be his reliable running mate.

This is the way to go for the Rockets' front office, and it seems they're already embracing playing the long game. Fans in Houston can look forward to this team contending for not just a few years into the future, but likely well beyond that as well.