The Houston Rockets just dropped back-to-back games after losing to the Golden State Warriors at home today. It was their fifth defeat in their last six games and their fourteenth loss overall this season. Right now, the Rockets sit at the very bottom of the Southwest Division and the entire Western Conference. Some people expected these young Rockets to play better this season, but so far, we just have not really seen that. Are they tanking on purpose? We're not sure, but they have one of the biggest chances right now to land the No. 1 pick next year. Here we will look at why the Houston Rockets will finish dead last this season and end up with Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Rockets will end up with Victor Wembanyama

Since the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Rockets have lost 14 of 17 games. That's a cold streak for the Rockets, who are once again flirting with the worst win-loss record in the league. Many of their players have not exactly made the leap we expected, and first-round pick Jabari Smith Jr. has been underwhelming. In fact, he is shooting extremely terribly from the field (29.2 percent) and making not much of an impact on the floor.

Not surprisingly, there are now rumbles of possible trades on the table. One of the names being floated is that of Eric Gordon, the key valuable veteran in the rotation. Objectively speaking, he's not much use to the Rockets at this point. A change of scenery would be beneficial for both him and the team.

Apart from possible trades, however, the current complexion of the Rockets' season gives rise to one question — are they tanking for French big man Victor Wembanyama?

Prior to the start of the season, nobody really thought the Rockets could land Wembanyama in 2023. Right now, however, it seems like the Rockets are locked in a three-way race together with the Hornets and Pistons. Remember, of course, that it's still quite early to anticipate what will happen during the 2023 NBA draft lottery in May next year.

Wembanyama, of course, is expected to be the top draft pick next year. Based on what we have seen so far, he's more than just his size. His skill set is impressive and his potential to make a splash next season is quite tantalizing. Even two-time MVP and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo has given Wemby a ton of props.

Having said that, Houston's competition at the bottom of the league standings appears to be very different from what many predicted at the start of the season. The Spurs right now have lost nine of their last 10 games after a strong start to the season. Meanwhile, the Jazz and Pacers continue to play much better than expected. Even the Thunder are treading water, thanks to the superb play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As such, the Rockets are the odds-on favorites to finish with the poorest record in the Western Conference. By the season's end, however, they may actually end up with the league's worst record.

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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Fans who are looking forward to having Wemby won't see that as a problem. For Stephen Silas, however, this may not be exactly what he signed up for when he was named the team's head coach back in 2020.

Recall that he joined the Rockets with the expectation that they would be competitive for the next few seasons. James Harden was still in his prime, surrounded by previous MVP Russell Westbrook, P.J. Tucker, and Eric Gordon. Silas never got a clean shot, though. Harden and Westbrook left and a disgruntled John Wall did not really make an impact. As such, Silas had a rough, dramatic tenure.

Of course, right now, their current 3-14 record is also discouraging. The silver lining is that they do have intriguing and talented young bucks. With a bit more seasoning, they can even form a competitive core in the future.

I mean, they have 2021 No. 2 pick Jalen Green along with point guard Kevin Porter. That's a solid backcourt with the potential to be really special. They also have Alperen Sengun, who has seen his numbers pop in year two. If Smith finds his rhythm and they do land Wembanyama next year, this would honestly be among the most promising young cores on the planet.

Adding another premium talent like Wembanyama is obviously attractive to their fan base. Keep in mind, though, that even the poorest record in the league will not ensure getting the top draft pick. The NBA's new lottery odds, which give each of the worst three teams a 14% chance of getting the No. 1 pick, have created a more level playing field. The Rockets could end up last this season and still miss the Wemby bus.

This is also why there's a bit of disappointment in what we're seeing from the Rockets now. Sure, maybe they are tanking for Wembanyama, but we also want to see some genuine progress from these guys. Green has all-star potential all over him, while Porter and Sengun are really good, too. Smith, of course, should live up to his billing — imagine, this is the guy who was the top overall pick in some draft boards a few months ago.

This rebuild of the Rockets is surely going to take a bit more time. The coming weeks and months will be crucial for this squad. It will also be on Silas & Co. to instill the systems and structures that will really enable these players to be great. Even if they do succeed in getting Wembanyama next year, nothing much will change if a culture and structure of winning won't be in place.