In a recent article, Buckley predicted that Houston’s deal for Durant will age well by this time next summer. Conceding the possibility that Durant could walk in free agency in 2026, Buckley still believes that Houston made the right call by getting the huge piece it was missing offensively and not really sacrificing its defensive identity.

The Rockets will play 28 games on national television in 2025-26, which is tied for second-most in the NBA and is more than double the amount of national TV games Houston played last season.