The Houston Rockets don't plan to accelerate their timeline for contention as they sit second in the Western Conference at 15-7, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

On the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Rockets consider young stars Tari Eason and Amen Thompson to be "untouchable," which is something he has said before.

MacMahon explained Houston is taking a much wider stance on any trades.

"I've just spent some time around the Rockets and I was told by more than one person, very very firmly, very adamantly, they will not change the core of that team this season," he said at the 11:57 mark. "Maybe they make a fringe rotation-type of deal, but they are going to play the season out with the core of that team is what they are saying right now."

This is always the dilemma for a franchise that's exceeding expectations with a promising squad that's still developing.

Future success is never assured. In 2021-22, the Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best record in the NBA and look at what has happened to them since then. It was all downhill for the Atlanta Hawks after they reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21.

By the same token, being too aggressive too soon has its own drawbacks. The young players aren't allowed enough time to work through their flaws, and a front office sacrifices valuable assets that might've been better utilized down the line.

In the case of Houston, executing a blockbuster trade before the current roster even has the chance to compete in the playoffs together would be hasty.

The Rockets aren't the championship favorites and they'd certainly benefit from having more shooting. They rank 15th in offensive rating (112.7) and 26th in three-point percentage (33.1), per NBA.com.

Along with that, a consolidation trade is probably inevitable when Houston has seven players averaging double figures in scoring, with five of those aged 23 or younger.

But the postseason will be instructive in seeing who is and isn't a true building block for the future and what areas need to be addressed in a meaningful way.

General manager Rafael Stone has a lot of time to evaluate how the Rockets eventually make the next step.