The Rockets shouldn't panic about a dramatically changed Western Conference

The Houston Rockets won't be acquiring De'Aaron Fox.

They won't be landing Luka Doncic, either - although that never seemed to be on the table. Then again, Doncic was supposed to retire in Dallas. It wouldn't be hyperbolic to say that his move to the Lakers is the most shocking trade in NBA history.

Doncic is a Laker. Fox is a Spur. The NBA's Western Conference is changing.

Can the Rockets keep up?

Rockets face stiff competition

Let's talk about the Spurs.

Yes, they have De'Aaron Fox now. They'll be poised to compete for NBA titles by pairing him with Victor Wembanyama.

Realistically, the Spurs positioned themselves to compete for future titles when their name was announced at the top of the 2023 NBA draft. Once they landed Wembanyama, they would be a problem for the Rockets.

They were always going to pair Wembanyama with a star guard, too. If it hadn't been Fox, it would have been someone else. If you're a Rockets fan who's just now getting concerned about San Antonio, you may be a person who lacks foresight. This was inevitable.

OK - let's talk about the Lakers. There's an air of inevitability here too. The Lakers historically tend to fail upwards. It doesn't matter what decisions their front office makes. Eventually, a superstar will stumble into the purple and gold. It just happened more quickly than anyone expected.

Now, the Lakers have Doncic. They have a LeBron James who has two more years left in this league, max. Doncic is a transformative talent, but the Lakers will have to get several ducks in a row moving forward. They're likely to build a contender around Doncic, but with limited assets, it's going to take time.

Finally, let's talk Mavericks. The decision to effectively move Doncic for Anthony Davis and a first makes them worse now. One unprotected first isn't enough to compensate for the age gap between Davis and Doncic - the deal makes Dallas' long-term outlook worse as well.

Wouldn't it be a perfect time to own their 2029 first-round pick?

So, the Spurs are a larger concern than before. The Mavericks are a lesser one, and the Lakers are still a work in progress.

What does it all mean for the Rockets?

Rockets still in an outstanding position

Let's talk about the Rockets. Isn't that what we're here to do?

They came into the 2024-25 season as play-in hopefuls. The Rockets were a feisty upstart group who weren't supposed to make any noise.

They've been one of the best teams in the NBA.

Will that remain the case in the new Western Conference landscape? Who can say? Luckily, the Rockets are young. They have no reason to rush. If they need to make a blockbuster deal down the road, the Rockets have an excessive number of assets.

Assets they opted not to trade for De'Aaron Fox.