By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Addressing the rumors surrounding his future with the Houston Rockets following the conclusion of his 2025-26 journey, Alperen Sengun maintained a professional stance on the business side of the NBA.
“I cannot do anything about those conversations,” he answered during his postgame press conference after a season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Toyota Center on Friday, regarding potential offseason trades. “It is what it is. You stay with it. That’s the front office’s job to do it. I cannot do anything about it. But wherever I go or stay over here, I’m just going to stick with it, doing what I’m doing.”
This uncertainty followed the sting of elimination from the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, with the 23-year-old Turkish center remaining steadfast in his support for his teammates. “Nobody was ready to be finished, obviously. This hurts, but we are proud of each other. I’m proud of a lot of how we fought until the end. People gave up on us, but we didn’t,” he said, reflecting on his side’s resilience after a 0-3 start to the best-of-seven series. “It really, really hurts going home in May. That wasn’t the goal at the beginning of the season. But it is what it is at the end of the day.”
Sengun’s individual performance in Game 6, a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, capped off a statistically dominant year. Over 72 regular-season games, he averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, and elevated his rebounding to 10.2 per game during his second NBA postseason journey. He credited much of this growth to his leadership role overseas. “I had a big summer with the national team. I was a leader there, too. So, I learned a lot of things over there, and I wanted to bring those here,” the Giresun native recalled. “I’m happy with what I’ve done, but I can be better, always. Just got to learn.”
Looking toward the 2026-27 campaign, Sengun is prioritizing both his physical and mental conditioning during the four-to-five-month break. “I got to get better in a lot of stuff, bodywise, mentalwise. This season, there were a lot of ups and downs for me. But I stayed with it. I always trust myself. I had that confidence that I would always be back. I’m a fighter. Just my shot, and everything, I’m going to work the whole summer. And hopefully come back next season and show it on the court,” he mentioned.
Ultimately, his focus remains on returning to a healthy and consistent squad capable of a deeper run next year, following an injury-plagued 2025-26 season for the Rockets. “Got to work hard, come back stronger, set the tone from the beginning, and stay consistent,” he previewed his start to the next season. “Hopefully, the goal is going to be the same, and, hopefully, everybody stays healthy and is here next season.”
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 3-3 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113, 88-94, 116-109, 93-79)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 3-3 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93, 125-120, 110-112)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 4-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98, 126-97, 140-89)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-3 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96, 97-113, 93-106)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. New York Knicks – Winner 4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 4-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109, 131-122)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 4-2 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108, 96-115, 93-99, 98-78)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 2-4 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112, 125-113, 98-110)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93, 114-95)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – Los Angeles Lakers
6. San Antonio Spurs – Minnesota Timberwolves
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions