“They built this team to compete for titles,” USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes says of the 2025-26 Houston Rockets, who he ranks at No. 2 among NBA teams.
The Houston Rockets finished with the NBA’s fourth-best record (52-30) last season, and they have a roster filled with young players — most notably, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. — who should develop and improve over the offseason.
They also traded for Kevin Durant, a perennial All-Star forward, future Hall of Famer, and one of the best scorers in league history.
With those types of pieces guided and molded by a highly respected head coach in Ime Udoka, the expectation is for an even stronger year in 2025-26.
In USA TODAY’s initial power rankings for the upcoming season, Lorenzo Reyes ranks Houston at No. 2 in the league. His explanation:
They went all-in with the Kevin Durant trade and added supplemental pieces like 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith. They built this team to compete for titles.
The only team in front of Houston is the Oklahoma City Thunder, defending Western Conference and NBA champions. Until they’re knocked off that pedestal, it’s only logical for them to be considered the championship favorite.
Relative to last season, two teams that finished ahead of Houston that are now behind in these rankings are the Celtics (61-21, No. 2 in the East) and Cavaliers (64-18, No. 1).
Boston is widely expected to take a step back after losing superstar forward Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles in the 2025 playoffs and subsequently offloading veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday for financial reasons.
Meanwhile, Cleveland is facing questions after an unwhelming second-round series loss (4-1) to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers. Reserve sharpshooter Ty Jerome then signed with Memphis in free agency.
Nothing is guaranteed, but it all adds up to the Rockets having very high expectations when 2025-26 training camps begin in late September.