8 first rounds + 60 million space! Rockets crossroads: Thunder-style cultivation or Grizzlies crash?

The Houston Rockets are undoubtedly one of the teams that have made the most significant progress this season. Last season, the Rockets ended with a record of 41 wins and 41 losses and unfortunately missed the play-offs; but this season, they became the No. 2 seeds of the Western Conference. However, in the first round of the playoffs, they fell at the feet of the Golden State Warriors.

Now, with a wealth of draft picks, a bunch of young players and an expiring contract, the Rockets have the capital to make big moves in the offseason. So, which path will they choose?

The Rockets can learn from other teams' wrong decisions during the offseason. Three seasons ago, the Grizzlies were one of the most powerful teams in the league. However, since then, they have lost twice in the first round of the playoffs and once missed the playoffs. On the other hand, Thunder has now become the best in the league. Next, let's compare the development trajectories of the Rockets and these two teams in detail.

Memphis Grizzlies

2021-22 season, the Memphis Grizzlies were once considered to be able to become one of the top teams in the next few years. At that time, the Grizzlies' core lineups - Ja Morant, Desmond Bain and Jaren Jackson Jr., were all 22 or 23 years old. In that season, Morant won the Fastest Progressive Player Award; in the following season, Jaren Jackson Jr. won the Best Defensive Player Award.

To be fair, injuries and Morant's off-court incidents did prevent the Grizzlies from reaching their full potential. But at the same time, after the 2022-23 season, the Grizzlies management seems determined to make drastic reforms to the team. Ironically, two of their team's players - Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams - eventually joined the Rockets. The Grizzlies seem to have lost their soul after losing these two players, and this season, they even fired their head coach with eight games left in the regular season. The mistake the Grizzlies made is that they traded too eagerly and exchanged their valuable role player Tyame Jones for Marcus Smart. Although Smart is a great player, he never seems to have really fit into the Grizzlies' locker room culture. This lesson tells us that transactions should not be blindly carried out just for the sake of change.

Oklahoma City Thunder

For the Rockets, last year's Thunder is undoubtedly a model worth following. Last season, despite the Thunder's outstanding performance and the team has MVP-level star Alexander, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has always been patient. Presti has repeatedly stressed that the team hopes to see young players grow gradually. Therefore, the Thunder did not waste their picks or other valuable assets in their hands for large-scale transactions. Admittedly, they traded Josh Gidey away, but this move was more because Gidey didn't match the team's needs and became a shortcoming for the team in the playoffs.

The Thunder did not rush to introduce big-name stars through trades, but chose to let young players grow for another season. It turns out that Caruso, who they exchanged for in Gidi's deal and Isaiah Haltenstein, were extremely suitable signings.

In the end, the Thunder achieved 68 wins this season and ended the regular season with a league-best record. So, will the Rockets choose to follow the Thunder in the offseason? Or will you bet all this summer?

Rockets' potential assets

If the Rockets refuse to execute the squad options of Van Vleet and Jabarry Smith Jr., they are expected to gain nearly $60 million in space. However, the main reason why the Rockets are seen as a team that will dominate the offseason is because of the generous draft picks they hold.

Currently, the Rockets are expected to win the ninth pick in this year's draft (from the Suns). If the Rockets package the draft pick with Reed Shepard, it will undoubtedly be an attractive bargaining chip. Although Shepard has not won many opportunities this season, he scored 49 points in his debut in the Development League, fully demonstrating his comprehensive skills as a scorer.

In addition, the Rockets also have the right to swap first-round draft picks with the Nets in 2027, and control the Suns' first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029. In addition, they hold multiple second-round picks and their first-round picks in 2028, 2030 and 2031. After a simple calculation, this means that the Rockets hold eight valuable first-round picks (here we also regard Shepard as a first-round pick here).

With young players such as Jaylen Green, Tari Ethan and Cam Whitmore, the Rockets are fully capable of coming up with an attractive deal. With such strong capital, the Rockets are fully capable of pursuing Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and other stars who are eager to open a new chapter. In order to get Antetokounmpo, the Rockets can even give up Shin Kyung.

However, the key question is, will the Rockets choose to let the young core grow for another season like the Thunder, or will they be as eager as the Grizzlies? It is not yet possible to assert which road is better. But what is certain is that the current situation of the Rockets is quite similar to the Grizzlies and Thunder back then. Both teams have made decisions, while the Grizzlies chose to retreat, while the Thunder made a leap.

For the Rockets, they must carefully weigh the pros and cons and make the wisest choice. After all, in the highly competitive NBA league, every decision can have a profound impact on the team's future.