NBA: Durant Trade Elevates Rockets Towards Serious Contention
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
The Houston Rockets picked up Kevin Durant for a bargain price. The trade, announced on the same day as Game 7 of the NBA Finals, sees Durant join his third team since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019 and elevates the Rockets from feisty regular season team to legitimate contender.
Houston gave up Jalen Green, Dillons Brooks, the 10th overall pick in this week’s draft, and five second-round selections. As a reminder, the Phoenix Suns sent out Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps to acquire Durant in 2023. The Suns have won six playoff games since then.
Phoenix is reportedly not looking to re-route Green at this juncture, creating a further backcourt logjam with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Brooks, and Grayson Allen. The 10th selection in the draft is unlikely to land a starter for a team looking to contend in 2026. This has been a calamitous loss of assets for the Suns, who are left with an imbalanced, under-talented roster in a stacked Western Conference.
Houston was no more than an afterthought as a title contender in NBA picks, despite earning the two seed in the Western Conference. That’s all changed with this trade. Remarkably, this trade leaves the Rockets with enough assets to still swing a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available.
New Rockets Core
Durant, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. are the foundational pieces for the Rockets in the coming season. The group also likely includes Fred VanVleet, who is expected to sign an extension after the Rockets declined the team option in his current deal.
Two-big bully ball remains an option after Steven Adams penned a contract extension. Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason can either fill out the rotation or be used as valuable trade pieces to acquire additional veterans.
Ime Udoka has prioritized defense throughout his coaching career. Size was a big part of Udoka’s planning last season. Now, they have Durant in place of Brooks and Green, giving the chance to run some supersized lineups with Thompson, Durant, and Smith filling three wing spots.
Clutch shot creation was Houston’s main weakness. Durant, even at this late stage of his career, is one of the best shot creators and makers in the Association, particularly in the halfcourt.
Brooks’ departure weakens their defense, but Houston has more than enough perimeter defenders to compensate for his absence. Green often seemed to be surplus to requirements.
Higher Ceiling
Durant inevitably raises the ceiling of the Rockets. Houston is a realistic title contender, even if they are still behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference hierarchy. This deal makes them look more like a proper two seed, who would have more than a fighting chance in a series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, or Golden State Warriors.
It's impossible to turn down Durant at such a low price.
Houston simply had to do this deal, even though it leaves them with overreliance on Sheppard and Whitmore as backup guards.
This is a trade that makes sense regardless of Durant’s long-term plans. One year of Durant at this cost doesn’t derail Houston longer term, or they can extend Durant and flip some other pieces to pick up another guard like Coby White or CJ McCollum.
Where Next for Phoenix?
The Booker, Beal, Green, and Brooks core isn’t going anywhere in the west. With the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers improving, the current version of the Suns isn’t even going to be a play-in team.
Beal is impossible to trade with his contract and no-trade clause. Mat Ishbia doesn’t seem to have any interest in a deep rebuild and flipping Booker.
Phoenix needed to get some of its own picks back in a Durant trade. They failed to do so. They are left with no control of their future draft and a team destined to be in the bottom-half of the play-in or the lottery for the foreseeable future.
Trading Booker is the only way out and it doesn’t look to be a route Ishbia has any interest in. It might carry short-term pain, but Phoenix’s current outlook is bleak until the end of the decade.
