The Houston Rockets' attempt at a 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors fell short in Game 7 on Sunday night, but as the season ends for the Rockets, reports indicate that the organization did not see itself as a true championship contender despite earning the No. 2 seed, and that the postseason would bring valuable information for future moves.

“The Rockets, league sources say, did not see themselves as a championship threat … not even after snagging the West's No. 2 seed,” Jake Fischer said in Marc Stein's Substack. “They understand that the Thunder, while even younger, are farther along in the chase for true contention. Yet much like Oklahoma City last season, Houston had been planning to use this entire season — especially the playoffs — to evaluate a roster filled with recent lottery picks. The plan was always to capitalize on the crucible of the postseason for crucial data collection before deciding what major swings, if any, to take this offseason.”

The young Rockets team has to take lessons from the Warriors. The players can take lessons from this experience, but the front office likely will too, and that could mean roster changes. Houston has plenty of assets, whether it be young players or draft picks, to trade for a star.

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“Now the Rockets, crushed as they obviously were to fall one step short in their comeback from down 3-1 down against the Warriors and all those playoff-tested vets, will have several weeks to study these results,” Fischer said.

The Western Conference is stacked with talent, and the Rockets are a team that is seemingly on an upward trajectory. They have wanted to reemerge as contenders for a while now. It is up to the front office to identify any potential moves that would transform them into title contenders and pull the trigger if those moves are possible. However, it is also important to not just make a move to make a move. It has to make sense for the timeline for Houston.