Most pressing 2023 questions for Astros, Rockets, Texans, UH

The Houston sports teams are preparing for the new year. Josh Criswell and Michael Shapiro ranked the top 10 questions facing them. Send your questions to [email protected] to be featured in the next mailbag.

The Houston Rockets have the NBA's second-youngest roster. General manager Rafael Stone has acquired two franchise pillars in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith with top-three picks. The rest of Houston's future rotation is nebulous. Kevin Porter Jr.'s contract is only guaranteed for the 2023-24 season. K.J. Martin and Jae’Sean Tate may be traded before February”s deadline.

The University of Houston football team will play its first season in the Big 12 this fall. The team finished tied for fourth in their last season. They lost in overtime twice, but they were competitive. They lose some of their top playmakers, including the historic quarterback-receiver tandem of Clayton Tune and Nathaniel Dell.

The Houston Rockets are considering signing James Harden in free agency this summer. The team has questions about its future at point guard. The draft lottery could play a major role in a potential reunion. If the Rockets land Victor Wembanyama, they could see Harden added.

The most important decision for the Astros this offseason could involve players already within the organization. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier are under team control through 2025. Kyle Tucker is at the top of most Astros fans' wish lists. He is coming off back-to-back top-20 MVP finishes and the first All-Star and Gold Glove honors of his career.

The Houston Texans are looking for a new head coach for the 2022 season. Lovie Smith is not the ideal choice. DeMeco Ryans is a good choice for Houston. Sean Payton is an obvious choice, but he's still under contract with the New Orleans Saints. Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon are also interesting.   The team is becoming irrelevant in its own city. The most pressing 2023 questions for Astros, Rockets and Texans include:

Astros need a new catcher. Martín Maldonado is 37 and has hit below .190 at the plate in the last two seasons. Gary Sanchez is the top catcher left on the free-agent market. Houston could also give one of two prospects a shot behind the catcher's plate.

The Rockets are going to be picked in the 2023 NBA lottery on May 16th. The first pick would bring Wembanyama and Green to Houston.

The Texans have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on January 1st. They will probably take a quarterback. Bryce Young is the most popular choice. C.J. Stroud and Will Levis are also in contention. Houston has had problems at quarterback since Deshaun Watson's arrival. The Texans were tied for the third-worst passing grade in NFL entering Sunday.

The Houston Cougars are the highest-ranked one-loss team in the country at No. 3 in both major polls. They reached the Final Four in 2021 and the Elite Eight last season. The NCAA tournament is the toughest championship to win in all of American sports.

The Houston Astros are the betting favorite to repeat as World Series champions in 2023. The team has won four American League pennants and two World series titles in the last six years. The current state of the Houston sports teams makes it unlikely they will be able to compete for a championship in near future.