HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 13: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets reacts during the game against the Chicago Bulls at Toyota Center on January 13, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets have not lived up to their expectations this season. After a strong start to the 2025-2026 season, the team fell to the No. 5 seed and faced a shorthanded LA Lakers team. While they were favored to win almost all the games in the series, the Rockets still dropped the first three games and went down 3-0 in Round 1 before winning one in Game 4. 

According to a new report from The Ringer’s Michael Pina, the Rockets could be poised for a massive shake-up. It said that jobs, including those of the players and coaches, are not safe, especially considering their performances this season. 

“Now seismic decisions lie ahead, and literally no job is safe. No player is untradable, no coach unexpendable,” Pina wrote. 

Ime Udoka became the Rockets’ head coach in 2023 and turned the team into a perennial playoff contender. Last year, they finished second in the regular season only to lose in the first round against the Golden State Warriors. 

This year, the Rockets are also on the verge of a first-round exit against the 41-year-old LeBron James, who has carried the Lakers sans their top two scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

This season is the first since the Rockets pulled off a massive trade that brought them Kevin Durant, an addition that many saw as increasing the ceiling of the team made up of young and promising players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. 

Before 2024, the Rockets spent four seasons tanking with the hope of rebuilding the squad through the draft. While they have assembled a promising young core, the team looked devoid of identity and a winning culture. 

Report Poses Questions on a Kevin Durant trade

GettyKevin Durant’s contract could be a liability for the Houston Rockets.

The Ringer’s report also threw doubts about Kevin Durant’s viability as a trade asset, considering his age and contract. 

“How many teams would be willing to part with something valuable to get him? KD will be 38 years old with $90 million left on his contract heading into next season,” Pina wrote. 

“He leaves behind a trail of lethargy wherever he goes, along with strange layers of passive-aggressiveness; it honestly can’t be said enough times how childish his burner boy persona really is. It’s not my place to psychoanalyze or explain that behavior, but I do know that it’s not exactly fostering a healthy workplace environment.”

Notably, Durant was involved in a massive controversy about his burner accounts’ leaked conversations, where he talked trash about his Rockets teammates. While it remained unconfirmed, many believed it caused a rift between Durant and his teammates. 

Additionally, the report hinted that the team could also add another superstar to their roster to potentially try a new approach to winning. 

Rockets Face Must-Win Situation Against the Lakers

GettyRockets must win against the Lakers.

For now, the Rockets must focus on pulling off the improbable in their Round 1 series against the LA Lakers. 

No team has ever risen from a 0-3 hole in the playoffs. After their Game 4 win, the Rockets hope they can be the first ones to do it. 

Game 5 of the series on Wednesday, April 29, in Los Angeles. Tip-off is at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.