The Houston Rockets pushed the Golden State Warriors all the way in their first-round playoff series, but ultimately their inexperience and lack of consistent offense saw them come up short in Game 7 on Sunday.
After scoring 93 points or less in three of their four losses, there's now plenty of questions facing the Rockets after a massive season that saw them rise from 11th to second in the regular season standings.
The Warriors could force the Rockets into an ill-advised trade
Houston's lack of offense was always destined to be a problem heading into the series, and that's just how it played out as Golden State suffocated them into submission in Game 7. Jalen Green's disastrous series (excluding Game 2) has shone a spotlight on whether the Rockets need a blockbuster trade to add a go-to scorer, with their plethora of young talent and future assets placing them in the conversation for any superstar who may become available.
Having been through a disastrous season with the Phoenix Suns and likely to be traded this offseason, former Warrior Finals MVP Kevin Durant is someone who's long been linked to the Rockets.
However, Houston should also be careful what they wish for when it comes to acquiring outside talent to take the next step. This is the second time in three years that the Warriors (as a lower seed) have taken down a young team in a Game 7 of a first-round series on the road, having gone into Sacramento and beaten the Kings behind Stephen Curry's 50 points in 2023.
Six of Sacramento's top seven players in that series were 26-years-old or younger, but since then they've failed to make the playoffs in consecutive years. They thought that 6x All-Star DeMar DeRozan was the answer last offseason, yet in reality that's one of a number of reckless decisions the Kings have made which now places them stuck in a gloomy situation.
In fairness, the Rockets have better young talent and more future assets than what the Kings did at the same spot two years ago. Yet at the same time, they don't want to let a Game 7 defeat lead them into reckless decisions that inhibit their short and long-term goals.
Trading for Durant may prove the right move if they go down that path, but it also carries significant risk given he has an injury history and will enter next season at 37-years-old. The Rockets certainly have a bright future with meaningful success likely on the horizon, yet the Warriors will be hoping Sunday's win has more far-reaching consequences for their rival than just playoff elimination.