Houston

Rockets

Still only 32, Smart is a 12-year NBA veteran best known for his nine-year tenure with the Celtics. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2021-22 season. Smart was still a significant piece for the Lakers last year as he averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. He opted out of his contract with the Lakers and was rewarded by the Rockets with a slight pay bump. NBA Insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported the Rockets were a potential landing spot for Smart.

VanVleet, who will make $25 million next season, did not play at all in 2025-26 after suffering a torn ACL weeks before the start of training camp. In his first two seasons with the Rockets, the point guard averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.9 three-pointers per game. Last season, Houston missed VanVleet’s on-court leadership and ability to organize, which factored into the team’s first-round playoff elimination. It’s unknown whether VanVleet will be a full go at training camp in late September, but his availability would be a big deal for the Rockets.

After two seasons at Syracuse, Copeland played for Will Wade at both McNeese and NC State before turning pro this spring. The 6-foot-6 guard’s lone season at NC State was his most productive, with Copeland averaging 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.7 three-pointers in 28.9 minutes, shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three and 77.7 percent from the foul line. In addition to the playmaking ability, Copeland showed signs of being able to do more as a perimeter shooter at the next level. It was a surprise that he went undrafted, but this is a good landing spot for Copeland to develop. The Rockets have a lot of talent at the top, but he should help provide depth in the backcourt.

Thornton spent all four of his seasons at Ohio State, with the production improving each year. As a senior, the 6-foot guard averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 three-pointers, shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 82.9 percent from the foul line. Measured at 223 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, Thornton’s strength and lower center of gravity make him a challenging player to keep from getting to his spots offensively. The Knicks once again moved down in the draft, sending picks 31 and 55 to Houston for 39, 53 and a 2029 second-round pick via Sacramento. As a result, Thornton is headed to Houston, which needs perimeter depth with Fred VanVleet coming off a torn ACL and Aaron Holiday being a free agent. Given his experience and physical build, Thornton will have an opportunity to crack the back end of the rotation.

New York initially held pick No. 24 in this draft, but they have made multiple moves down, and their first pick will now be at 39. Houston will now hold the first pick of the second round, which will be their first selection in this draft.

While Sheppard scored in double figures in five of the six games in this series, his second NBA season ended with a whimper on Friday. The Rockets guard shot 1-of-10 from beyond the arc and converted just three of his nine two-point attempts. And with Kevin Durant (ankle) still out, the Rockets could ill afford to have Sheppard shoot as poorly as he did in Game 6. Fantasy-wise, while Fred VanVleet’s absence did open things up for Sheppard, few managers expected him to provide top-100 value during the regular season. With a healthy VanVleet and Durant in the fold, Sheppard’s ADP (113 this season) is unlikely to receive a boost ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Eason recorded a complete stat line in his final game of the 2025-26, and potentially his last as a Houston Rocket. The fourth-year forward will be a restricted free agent this summer, and there should be some options for him to choose from. However, availability has capped his fantasy ceiling in recent seasons, and that may also affect his market in free agency. After appearing in all 82 games as a rookie, Eason has played in 60 regular-season games or fewer in each of the last three.

Smith did his best to shoulder a heavier workload in the aftermath of Kevin Durant’s ankle injury, but the fourth-year forward’s efficiency slipped against the Lakers. Shooting 3-of-11 from the field in Game 6, Smith had just one game in which he shot 50 percent or better from the field. He did grab 12 rebounds on Friday, recording his second double-double of the series, but this was a disappointing end to the 2025-26 season. Regarding Smith’s fantasy prospects for next season, he has top-100 potential, but the ceiling is somewhat limited with Kevin Durant in the fold.

Thompson, who led the Rockets in scoring in Game 6, had two 20-point games in this series. While a highly valuable fantasy option, especially for managers punting three-pointers, the Rockets’ wing needs to improve his perimeter shot heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Thompson does not need to turn into the second coming of Stephen Curry, but a respectable jump shot could go a long way toward unlocking even more of his potential on the offensive end of the floor. Using a top-25 pick on Thompson in drafts next fall would not be that big of a reach in category league formats, while managers in points leagues can afford to wait a little bit.

After going off for 33 points in Game 3, Şengün scored 19 points or less in each of the final three games of the series. While the Rockets got away with that in Games 4 and 5, that was not the case in Game 6. Only having Kevin Durant for one game certainly didn’t help matters, nor did Houston’s failure to address the point guard position in Fred VanVleet’s absence. Şengün did not provide the second-round value that many fantasy managers expected before the season began, but he was not far off in eight-cat formats. He won’t last long on draft boards next fall, even with a healthy Durant and VanVleet in the starting lineup.