From Harden’s Exit to Kevin Durant: Houston Rockets’ Shocking Rise & Greatest Rebuild in NBA History

From Harden’s Exit to Kevin Durant: Houston Rockets’ Shocking Rise & Greatest Rebuild in NBA History

Welcome to NBA Hoops, where legends are made, rivalries ignite, and every buzzer beater writes history. Step into the heart of the game. This is more than basketball. This is NBA hoops. For Eime Udoka, he wanted this to happen. That’s why this happened because I can tell you that Tieleman Fertitta and others had their reservations. Uh but Eay did not. And he wanted this. And so they believe in him. They believe in his vision. uh and they were going to do what they what what he wanted them to do and he wanted KD. That’s number one. Number two, I think this elevates them to championship contention to easily one of the final fours in the Western Conference, if not the entire NBA. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if they were in the Western Conference Finals. Uh all right, Houston Rockets up next. Big number here. Big off season where they um trade for Kevin Durant. Um, Bontam’s 40 54 and a half wins for the Houston Rockets as the overunder. I’ve talked a lot about how much I love the Rockets off seasonason. I still love the Rockets off seasonason. I’m going to take the under. Uh, I’m a little concerned about Kevin’s health just in terms of getting regular season playing games. Um, you know, they’ve got, you know, Fred Van Vleet. We’ll see how many games he’s going to play if he doesn’t get banged up. Um, I I do think they’re, you know, they still got to have some growth from some of the young guys. Reed Shepard’s going to have a much bigger role. How’s that going to go? Um, you know, they probably played above their heads last year getting to 52 wins. Uh, and like you in the West, I think we’re going to have another big glut of teams all in about the same uh record range. So, I could see a world where the Rockets go over 54 and a half. Um, but I I think it’s more likely that they end up somewhere back around 50 and I’m going to take the under. Yeah, I’d agree with that. And the point of bringing in Kevin Durant was about the playoffs, not the regular seasons. You know, it’s about addressing their glaring void of a go-to guy down a stretch of uh of close playoff games. If he plays 65 games in the regular season, awesome. Uh I would anticipate them airing on the side of caution there. Um, I think there’ll be a top four, probably top three seed. I just don’t know if there’s going to be more than one team that’s that’s got 55 plus wins in the West. Yeah. Um, I really like what the Rockets have done. Um, it’s just a big number. A lot of things got to go your way to get 55 plus wins. Uh, again, I’m going to hedge under. Not a commentary on the Rockets, just a commentary on the strength of the West. I think everyone’s going to kind of sort of move more towards the middle um just because of you know some teams are going to take some losses. Um we’re going to have a whole we’re going to have a run of those types of teams right here. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Synthetic Sports where we dive deep into the heart of the NBA’s biggest stories. Today we’re unpacking one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent basketball history. The Houston Rockets journey from the ashes of James Harden’s departure to a blazing contender in just 5 years. After Harden left in 2020, the Rockets weren’t just down, they were buried, posting a league worst 17 to 55 record in 2021. It was without question the darkest chapter in franchise history. But hold on because this story isn’t about despair. It’s about resilience, strategy, and a masterclass in rebuilding. So, buckle up, hit that like button, subscribe, and ring the notification bell to join us on this wild ride. But how did the Rockets go from the league’s laughing stock to a Western Conference powerhouse? Let’s rewind to the moment it all fell apart. Picture this. It’s 2020 and the Houston Rockets are crumbling. Just 2 years earlier, in 2018, they pushed the Golden State Warriors to a grueling 7game Western Conference Finals. But by 2019, the dream was fading. They fell in the second round to guess who? The Warriors again. Desperate to shake things up. The Rockets traded Chris Paul and a hall of picks to OKC for Russell Westbrook. A former MVP only 3 years removed from his 2017 award. There was hope Westbrook was younger, dynamic, a spark to reignite Houston’s fire. But it backfired. The Rockets leaned into an extreme small ball experiment with 6’5 PJ Tucker playing center. Yes, center. It was bold, it was wild, and it was a disaster. In 2020, they crashed out in the second round to the Lakers in just five games. By the off season, Harden and Westbrook wanted out. The Rocket saw Westbrook’s trade request as a blessing in disguise, shipping him to Washington for a 300year-old John Wall. Fresh off an Achilles tear and a future first round pick. Then head coach Mike Danton walked away and GM Daryl My followed. The ship wasn’t just sinking, it was abandoned. With Harden’s heart no longer in Houston, the stage was set for a blockbuster trade that would reshape the franchise’s future. Let’s dive into that pivotal moment. January 2021, James Harden’s time in Houston ends with a bang or maybe a whimper, depending on who you ask. Rumors swirled about his discontent, and let’s not forget the fat suit controversy. Was it bad camera angles, or did Harden really show up looking out of shape? The second he landed in Brooklyn, he was miraculously shredded again. Coincidence? You tell me. But here’s where the Rockets front office showed their smarts. They traded Harden to the Nets for Victor Oladipo, Dante Exom, Rodon’s Kuruks, four first round picks, and four pick swaps. Crucially, they’d already protected their own picks in the OKC deal, unlike Brooklyn, who left themselves vulnerable. This gave Houston control over Brooklyn’s draft future while keeping their own. The result, a brutal 17 to 55s een in 2021, the third worst in franchise history. But those protected picks paid off with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft. They selected Jaylen Green from the G-League Ignite, a high-flying scorer with star potential. They also flipped two protected firsts, including the one from the Westbrook trade to OKC for the 16th pick, snagging Alper and Shenun, a crafty big man with a bright future. It wasn’t pretty. But the foundation was laid. The Rockets were down, but not out. With young talent in place, could they build on this draft hall to climb out of the cellar? Let’s see how their young core started to take shape. The 2021 to 2022 season was another low.20 wins, 62 losses. Dead last in the league again. But amid the wreckage, there were glimmers of hope. Jaylen Green, just 19, averaged 17, five points per game, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year, voting with a scorching end to the season. Alpine Shenun, coming off the bench, flashed potential with nearly 10 points a night. The Rockets also had Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. who looked like pieces of the future. Though, spoiler alert, Woods now out of the league and Porters barely hanging on with the Bucks. In the 2022 draft, Houston landed the third pick, selecting Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn, a defensive-minded forward once projected as the top pick. Some called him the next Carmelo Anthony, but he’s yet to fully live up to the hype. Though at 22, times on his side. With the 17th pick from the Nets, they grabbed Tari Een, a defensive gem who’s improved every year. But the struggles continued. The 2022 to 2023 season saw a slight uptick, 22 wins, tied for second worst, but the young core grew. Green bumped his scoring to 22 points per game. Shenun became the starting center with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. And rookies Smith and Een showed promise. Yet, head coach Steven Silas couldn’t connect with the team, posting a 59 to 177 record, among the worst winning percentages in NBA history. A false report by Brian Windhorst claimed Silas broke down in tears. But the real pain was losing his father mid-season and missing just one game. It was a brutal hand for Silas and the Rockets let him go. The Rockets young core was promising, but they needed a spark to ignite the rebuild, enter a new coach, and some bold moves that would change everything. In 2023, the Rockets made a game-changing hire. Eay Udoka, fresh off a controversial exit from Boston, but undeniably a brilliant coach. They also landed the fourth pick in the draft, selecting Aean Thompson, a defensive dynamo who’d likely go second in a reddraft. At 20th, they took Cam Whitmore, a steal despite knee concerns. But the real shock came in free agency. Houston, tired of losing, went big, signing Dylan Brooks to a 4-year, $80 million deal. Insane at the time, given his ejection-filled playoff meltdown against the Lakers. Then they dropped $130 million over 3 years on Fred Van Vleet, a champion, but a pricey one at $43 million a year. Add veterans like Jeff Green, Reggie Bulock, Aaron Holiday, and Jock Landale. And the Rockets were no longer an AAOU squad. They had leadership. The 2023 to 2024 season started rough. Three straight losses, including a blowout in Orlando. But then a six-game win streak flipped the script. Jaylen Green and ShenGun shown with Shenun’s breakout season carrying the team. By January, Houston was hovering around 500 in the play-in hunt. February was brutal 3 to9 with Tari Een out for 4 months and Van Vleet missing time. Yet March was magic 13-2 with Green on fire and the team playing elite defense even without Shenun who suffered a sprained ankle and knee injury. They fell just one game short of the playin, finishing 41 to 41, a 19- win jump. A top four protected pick landed them Reed Shepard, a sharpshooter from Kentucky. In the 2024 draft, the Rockets were back in the conversation, but could they take the next step and become true contenders? Let’s see how they shocked the NBA in 2024 to 2025. The 2024 to 2025 season was when the Rockets roared. Expectations were modest, maybe a playin spot in the stacked West, but Houston had other plans. They started 10 to four with Alpirin Shenun earning his first all-star nod averaging dominant numbers. Amen. Thompson exploded averaging 14 points and making all defensive first team. Seven players averaged 12 plus points showcasing depth. The Rockets battled heavyweights like the Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Lakers, finishing 52 to 30, the second seed in the West. In the playoffs, they faced the Warriors, a chance for revenge after years of heartbreak. Down three to one, they clawed back, winning game five and stunning Golden State in game six on the road. But a 33-point eruption from Buddy Heielded in game seven crushed their dreams. Still, the season exposed a flaw. Their halfcourt offense lacked ISO scorers. Enter Kevin Durant. In a blockbuster trade, Houston sent Jaylen Green, Dylan Brooks, the 202510th pick and five second rounders to Phoenix for the 37-year-old superstar. KD, the ultimate ISO scorer and shooter, was a perfect fit on paper. They also brought back Clint Capella as a backup center. added Steven Adams, Dorian Finny Smith, and Josh Aogi, and ressigned Jeff Green, Aaron Holidayiday, Jaylen Tate, and Fred Van Vleet. This wasn’t Phoenix’s thin roster. Houston built a fortress around Durant. With Durant in the fold, the Rockets look like a juggernaut, but can they finally conquer the West? Let’s wrap this up and look ahead. From the depths of a 17 to 55 season to a 52 to30 powerhouse, the Houston Rockets have scripted one of the NBA’s greatest rebuilds. They hit on draft picks like Jaylen Green, Alparan Shangun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Een, Aean Thompson, and Reed Shepard. They hired Eime Udoka, a coach who transformed their culture, and they landed Kevin Durant, a superstar, to solve their half-c court wos. It sounds simple. will draft well, hire smart, trade big, but it’s a formula. Few execute. The Rockets did, and now they’re knocking on the championship door. OKC may be the favorites, but Houston’s not far behind. What do you think? Can the Rockets win it all next season? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Smash that like button, and subscribe for more NBA deep dives. This is Synthetic Sports and we’re just getting started. If you felt the heat, heard the roar, and lived the game. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and join the NBA Hoops family. The next big moment is just one play away.

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From Harden’s Exit to Kevin Durant: Houston Rockets’ Shocking Rise & Greatest Rebuild in NBA History