Overview

• Houston ranks second in ESPN’s September 2025 Future Power Rankings, trailing only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
• The evaluation covers five areas — players, available money, draft assets, market, and management — scored by Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps.
• The Rockets earned top-five marks in key components with players at second, management fourth, and draft assets fifth.
• ESPN notes the franchise’s rapid rise from bottom-five status in 2021–2023 to seventh last year after hiring coach Ime Udoka and building a strong young core.
• Durant’s approaching 37th birthday is flagged as a risk, with growth from Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard viewed as the counter within a projection window running through 2027–28, and leadership from GM Rafael Stone and Udoka positioned to pivot if needed.