Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox warms up before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In the last 48 hours, the Houston Rockets in-state rivals in the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs have undergone metamorphosis.

Firstly, in a shadowy Saturday-night deal, 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic was shipped off to the Lakers in exchange for star center Anthony Davis, who now joins Kyrie in Dallas. Less than 24 hours later Sunday evening, the long-awaited De’Aaron Fox deal was finally completed, with him landing in San Antonio in a three-team deal involving Sacramento and Chicago.

We’ll focus on the latter half for now, as it appears the Mavericks future isn’t as bright as previously thought. 

The Rockets have off-and-on been reportedly in the market for a star, owning one of the larger asset caches in the entire league in the form of future picks and up-and-coming prospects. And though conclusions were drawn about Houston’s potential interest in Fox, it’s not surprising he’s landed elsewhere, and the team is sure to remain competitive regardless.

Now, Fox’s impact affects Houston in an entirely different way.

The Rockets have been one of the surprise teams on the season, boasting the No. 2 standing in the West with one of the best young cores in the entire league comprised of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Tari Eason and plenty more. As it stands now, Houston seems one of the better positioned teams in the league in regards to the future.

Suffice it to say, you can add San Antonio to the list, too.

In getting Fox, the Spurs offloaded very few tangible assets, managing to hang onto rookie Stephon Castle, talented forward Jeremy Sochan, as well as impactful players like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and more. Now, they own the likely future face of the league in soon-to-be superstar Victor Wembanyama, the one-time All-Star in Fox, and a fairly deep roster.

While the Spurs may be too far behind this season to make a splash — sitting at No. 12 in the West — they’re certainly going to contend soon enough, perhaps even as early as next season.

The Rockets will remain contenders, but it seems the Mavericks and Spurs swapped places over the weekend.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.