Houston Rockets, Leslie Alexander
May 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander attends warmups before the game against the Golden State Warriors in game two of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Oracle Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox

The Houston Rockets, one of the NBA's top franchises, has been reportedly placed for sale by owner Leslie Alexander. Since entering the league in 1967, the Rockets have won two championships and four Western Conference titles.

Alexander, 73, purchased the Rockets in 1993 for US$85 million (AU$103 million). The Rockets are currently valued at US$1.65 million (AU$2.18 billion), according to a recent report on Forbes. In 2014, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for a sum of US$2 billion (AU$2.5 billion).

"It's been my great joy and honour to own the Houston Rockets for the past 24 years. I've had the incredible opportunity to witness true greatness through the players and coaches who have won championships for the city, been named to All-Star and All-NBA teams, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and done so much for our franchise and our fans," Alexander said in a press release.

"And the Houston community has been home to me; I will continue to support the charities I have made commitments to throughout the years. I'll always have a special place in my heart for the fans, partners, city officials and employees who care so deeply for this team."

Houston Rockets have future mapped out

The Rockets recently roped in franchise superstar James Harden until the 2022-23 season. General manager Daryl Morey also committed five more years to the Rockets a year after Harden led the team to 55 victories.

"I've made this decision after much deliberation with my family and friends, and do so knowing the franchise is in great shape with the players, coaches and management team in place. CEO Tad Brown will oversee the sales process with the league office, supported by my management team," Alexander added.

The Houston Rockets are trying to make a run at the mighty Golden State Warriors wtih a Super Team of their own. After acquiring Chris Paul this offseason, Morey and the Rockets are in aggressive pursuit of a Carmelo Anthony trade. Talks between New York and Houston stalled after new Knicks general manager Scott Perry stopped a trade that could have sent Rockets forward Ryan Anderson to the Big Apple.

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