Barring major trades, the 2022-23 Houston Rockets aren’t likely to be significantly different than the 2021-22 version that just wrapped up the regular season with the NBA’s worst record. As evidence, nearly every rotation player is already under contract for next season.
Sure, Houston will add another top-five draft pick in June, but most rookies aren’t immediately impactful to winning. And while the highly-touted rookies from the 2021 draft class — most notably, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun — will be entering their second NBA seasons, they will still be only 20 years old when the 2022-23 season starts.
While some internal growth can and should be expected, a radical transformation in team results isn’t likely within months. Plus, with the Rockets owning their first-round pick in the 2023 draft, another losing campaign could further add to their stockpile of young talent.
