Future NBA Power Rankings: Where Are Rockets?

The Houston Rockets have a lot of youth, but none of it is guaranteed to flourish into a contending roster.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 23, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets, simply put, are geared towards the future.

After putting an end to the James Harden era in early 2021, the Rockets have built a team from scratch that they hope one day will reach the basketball mountaintop.

Houston has always targeted the middle of the decade as its chance to re-enter the contender conversation in the NBA, and with 2024 coming in a few short months, the Rockets are inching closer to the point where they could become relevant again.

Bleacher Report created a power rankings for how teams are set up for the next three years and the Rockets clocked in at No. 22.

Jalen Green Fred VanVleet — Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green defended by Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

"The Houston Rockets have several potential stars on their roster, but they're all young enough to be dubious about their readiness in 2026," Bleacher Report writes. "Still, this is one of the most interesting teams in the NBA, thanks to players like Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr."

The Rockets have a lot of high-end talent, acquiring nine first-round picks in the past three drafts. While some have moved on from the team this offseason, there are six first-rounders from 2021 onwards currently on the roster, all of whom have a chance to become big contributors for the next great Rockets team.

If those players can each take a step forward, and Houston can hit on some of the free agent signings it has made, the Rockets could end up as one of the elite teams in the league in three years' time.

Published Sep 23, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.