Houston Rockets Face Key Questions Ahead of Playoffs

From Alperen Şengün's development to roster moves, the Rockets have crucial decisions to make in the final stretch of the regular season.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 10:15am

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The Houston Rockets have 29 games left before the playoffs, and they need to decide what kind of team they want to be. Key questions facing the Rockets include whether they can continue to win the possession battle without Steven Adams, how much better Alperen Şengün can get, and whether they will sign a free agent buyout or convert JD Davison's two-way contract to a standard deal.

Why it matters

The Rockets' performance in the final stretch of the regular season will be crucial in determining their postseason prospects. They need to address issues like their offensive rebounding, Şengün's efficiency, and roster decisions to position themselves for a deep playoff run.

The details

Without Steven Adams, the Rockets have gone from leading the league in offensive rebounding rate to ranking 3rd, meaning they can no longer consistently rely on dominating the possession battle. They also often lose the turnover battle, which is especially problematic given their offensive inefficiency. Alperen Şengün has been impactful, but his shooting efficiency has been a concern, and the Rockets may need him to get to the rim more. The Rockets have an open roster spot and are considering signing a free agent buyout or converting JD Davison's two-way contract to a standard deal.

  • The Rockets have 29 games left before the playoffs.

The players

Alperen Şengün

The Rockets' young center who has been impactful but struggled with shooting efficiency this season.

Amen Thompson

A Rockets player who said the team knows they are a championship team and need to decide what kind of team they want to be.

Steven Adams

The Rockets' former center whose absence has impacted their ability to dominate the possession battle.

JD Davison

A Rockets player on a two-way contract who has been effective and is nearing the limit for the amount of games he can be active for.

Rafael Stone

The Rockets' General Manager who discussed the possibility of signing a free agent buyout.

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What they’re saying

“I know we're a championship team.”

— Amen Thompson (Houston Chronicle)

“We'll take a hard look at the buyout market … generally people only want to come if there's a role for them. And that's a pretty high bar with us.”

— Rafael Stone, General Manager (Houston Chronicle)

What’s next

The Rockets will need to decide in the coming weeks whether to sign a free agent buyout or convert JD Davison's two-way contract to a standard deal.

The takeaway

The Rockets face crucial decisions in the final stretch of the regular season that will shape their postseason prospects. They need to address issues like their possession battle, Alperen Şengün's efficiency, and roster moves to position themselves as a true championship contender.