Rockets rout Thunder 116-89, Southwest Division roundup

The Southwest Division’s Thursday slate featured just one game, but a dominant win by the Houston Rockets and a wave of front-office chatter were enough to reshape the conversation.

Rockets roll past Thunder to climb to 2-1

At home, the Houston Rockets routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-89. The lopsided score moves Houston to 2-1 in the Southwest standings and adds another encouraging data point to a preseason in which the Rockets are setting an early tone. Hoops Rumors also notes that Houston tweaked the back end of its roster with minor moves, suggesting the front office wants to lock in a stable group heading into the final stages of camp.

Spurs draw big expectations around Wembanyama

Even without taking the floor, the San Antonio Spurs were in the spotlight. According to the key takeaways from the league’s annual general manager survey, summarized by CBS Sports, many executives see the Spurs as favorites to win the championship this season, with Victor Wembanyama viewed as the frontrunner for Most Valuable Player. For now, San Antonio sits at 1-3 in the Southwest, but league-wide expectations around the young center continue to climb.

Hoops Rumors also lists the Spurs among teams appearing in various preseason notes, even though the latest details focused more on other clubs like the Lakers.

Grizzlies work phones as Mavs and Pels tinker

For the Memphis Grizzlies (2-1), Hoops Rumors reports that the team is among the franchises, along with Milwaukee and the Lakers, actively exploring the trade market to address roster crunches. Another report from the outlet mentions Memphis in the context of exploratory trade talks, with no deal close at this stage.

The Dallas Mavericks (1-2) have stayed relatively quiet but keep showing up in transaction rundowns. Hoops Rumors points out that they’ve made minor end-of-roster adjustments and adds that point guard Marcus Sasser, who suffered a left adductor injury in practice, is expected to be available for Dallas’ preseason finale, according to head coach Dusty May.

The New Orleans Pelicans (2-1), meanwhile, brought back center Hunter Dickinson on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, per Hoops Rumors. The Spurs also appear in that set of minor roster moves, underscoring how the lower half of the division continues to churn as the preseason winds down.