Report: Kevin Durant, Ime Udoka to remain ‘essential part’ of Houston’s future

The Houston Rockets were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in the 2025-26 season, but that result isn’t expected to cause major changes to the team.

Both head coach Ime Udoka and veteran forward Kevin Durant are expected to remain as key parts of Houston’s future.

“Despite the loss, multiple high-level team sources still believe their young core can contend for the next decade,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon wrote. “Those same sources said Udoka will remain an essential part of the team’s future. Durant too.”

Houston lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round even though Luka Doncic did not play in the series and Austin Reaves missed four of the six games. Durant, who suffered an injury prior to Game 1, appeared in just one of the six games in the matchup. That certainly hurt Houston’s offense, as it averaged just 98.7 points per game in the series.

After a first-round exit in the 2024-25 season, Houston made a trade that included a first-round pick (No. 10 overall), Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to bring in Durant. It was a win-now move for the Rockets, but they clearly still need to improve their roster to compete with the top teams in the West.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from 3 during the regular season. He played in 78 games, so it’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to maintain that health into the playoffs.

Luckily, Houston doesn’t have to battle in free agency to keep Durant with the team in the offseason. The star forward is under contract for the 2026-27 season and has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. So, it’s possible the Rockets could get a different playoff result next season, especially if guard Fred VanVleet is able to return after he missed the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury.

As for Udoka, he quickly turned the Rockets from a rebuilding team to a playoff team once he took over in the 2023-24 season. The Rockets went 41-41 in his first season, and they’ve won 52 games in back-to-back campaigns.

The next step for the Rockets is winning a playoff series, and they should be able to make some small tweaks to the roster to improve it ahead of the 2026-27 season. Still, it’s hard not to view the 2025-26 campaign as a bit of a disappointment after the team made the move for Durant last offseason.