In a blockbuster move, the Houston Rockets have acquired Kevin Durant from the Suns, parting ways with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a package of draft picks.
“The Houston Rockets are now home to Kevin Durant.
On Sunday, the long-awaited trade finally materialized after months of circulating rumors. The 15-time NBA All-Star and potential Hall of Famer Durant sent a package to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a deal with the Rockets to acquire him. Guard Jalen Green, forward Dillon Brooks, and the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft were all part of that package.
Kevin Durant’s acquisition is a calculated move that will help the Rockets become a real title contender. Despite finishing as the second seed in the playoffs this season, Houston was eliminated early in the first round. This trade represents a significant change in the team’s roster-building strategy, which previously prioritized selecting and nurturing young players before adding seasoned veterans to provide professionalism and balance.
In New York, Durant was performing at Fanatics Fest NYC when the news of the deal began to circulate. It was impossible for him not to smile broadly.
From the stage, Kevin Durant declared, “We’ll see, man.” “We shall see.”
Fanatics has been working with Boardroom, a rapidly expanding media company that Durant and his business partner Rich Kleiman co-founded in 2019, on a number of projects. The panel Durant was supposed to be on on Sunday was called ‘Global Game Changers.’ The Rockets were one of Durant’s top trade destinations, he told Fanatics reporter Adams during the event.
He declared, “I’m really excited to be a part of the Houston Rockets.” Although the last few weeks have been absolutely crazy, I’m relieved that they are finally over.
It’s a big move for the Rockets to let go of Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft and the face of their rebuild. Green averaged 20.1 points per game during his four seasons with Houston, and he led the team in scoring during the most recent regular season. However, in his first NBA postseason appearance, the 23-year-old struggled. Green was publicly and privately backed by the Rockets’ management, but the trade enables the team to cut his three-year, $105.3 million contract extension before the summer officially begins.
Two seasons ago, Dillon Brooks signed a sign-and-trade agreement with the Rockets from Memphis, and he immediately adapted well to the team’s tough, defense-first philosophy under head coach Ime Udoka. Brooks averaged 14 points per game, started 75 games, and shot a career-high 39.7% three-point shooting percentage in the previous campaign. In addition to his shooting and defense, he and guard Fred VanVleet were regarded as two of Houston’s most esteemed veteran leaders in the locker room.
The Rockets have improved year after year and established a strong culture of accountability under head coach Ime Udoka over the last two seasons. Udoka was rewarded for this culture earlier this month with a contract extension. It is hoped that Houston can make another significant step toward an NBA championship now that Kevin Durant is on board.
Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors Finals MVP, will turn 37 in September. However, he hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since departing the Warriors in 2019. After playing for Seattle/OKC, Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix, Durant is now preparing for his 18th NBA season and will be playing for the fifth different team in his career.
kevin Durant became the first men’s basketball player to be a member of four gold-medal teams and the highest-scoring player in U.S. Olympic basketball history last summer in Paris.
Kevin Durant joins a team in Houston that just qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five years. The Rockets hope Durant can help address a number of problems with their half-court offence that were revealed in their first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Durant is still among the NBA’s top scorers even at this point in his career. Last season, he made 43% of his three-pointers and averaged 26.6 points per game on a scorching 57.2% shooting percentage. No player on the Rockets roster from the previous season even came close to matching Durant’s offensive output and efficiency, despite the fact that he played in 62 games, just three games short of earning league awards.
This season, the last of Kevin Durant’s four-year, $194 million contract, will see him earn $54.7 million. He will, however, be able to sign a two-year extension worth up to $122 million on July 6.
Kevin Durant already has a number of solid relationships with people in the Rockets organisation. During Durant’s early NBA career, he and head coach Ime Udoka faced off against one another. Later, Udoka coached Durant as an assistant for the Netts and with USA Basketball.
Additionally, Kevin Durant and Royal Ivey, the assistant coach for the Rockets, have a strong relationship. They both graduated from the University of Texas, were teammates in Oklahoma City, and are still close friends. Ivey was also a coaching assistant for the Brooklyn Netts when Durant was there. Another well-known figure, Durant’s old teammate from Texas, D.J. Augustin, was recently hired by the Rockets this summer to work in the front office.
In the offseason, Durant has also worked out with forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Green.
In February, Durant remarked, “I know how real he is because I was with Ime.” “He doesn’t mince words. Regardless of your standing in the league, he will tell you exactly what he thinks and how he thinks you should play. In a coach, such honesty is highly valued. Because of this, players will hold you in high regard for a very long time. I always thought he would succeed because of this.
It’s particularly remarkable that the Rockets were able to acquire Durant without having to part with any of their other young core players, including Green, or several future first-round picks. Among the first-round selections from the previous four drafts, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard will remain on the team.
The Suns originally owned the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, which the Rockets sent to Phoenix as part of the deal. Houston, however, kept Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick. The Rockets also have the option to select the most advantageous 2029 first-round pick from Phoenix, Dallas, or Houston.