Less than two weeks ago, the Houston Rockets made the premier move of the NBA offseason, trading for 15-time All-Star, 4-time scoring champ, and 2-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant.

Getting Durant for just Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a collection of picks instantly put the Rockets in the driver’s seat as one of the biggest winners of the offseason, but Houston’s work started well before the deal with the Suns was struck and continued long after.

Perhaps the most important move the Rockets made didn’t even involve a player.

Shortly after denying the New York Knicks an opportunity to interview Ime Udoka, the Rockets agreed to terms with their third-year head coach on a long-term contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA.

Udoka wasn’t the only “culture creator” Houston brought back. The Rockets struck a deal to bring back starting point guard Fred VanVleet, which was a win in itself, but they restructured his contract by declining his $44.9 million player option for the upcoming season and instead signing him to a new two-year, $50 million deal — saving the team nearly $20 million on this year’s payroll.

Even after adding Kevin Durant, the Rockets still lacked three-point shooting. Fortunately, they used some of the VanVleet savings to address that need.

When free agency opened, Houston signed 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith on a 4-year $53 million deal.

In addition to Finney-Smith, the Rockets welcomed back a familiar face, Clint Capela, who spent his first six NBA seasons in Houston before being traded to Atlanta in 2020.

Capela will join a frontcourt alongside All-Star Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, who was re-signed earlier in the offseason, creating a multi-big lineup that proved effective in Houston’s seven-game first-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Houston also re-signed key depth pieces Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate, forming one of the deepest benches in the league.

Looking at the Rockets’ rotation this season, it’s clear they boast one of the most talented and deepest rosters in the NBA.

Perhaps the most exciting part is that Houston might not even be done. The team still has the assets and cap space to add another high-end player if the opportunity arises.

Regardless, even if no further moves are made, the Rockets have already assembled the right pieces around their young core — a core that ranks among the best in the NBA — to become legitimate contenders for years to come.