The Houston Rockets are in an interesting position ahead of the upcoming season. The Rockets have made a few lower-profile moves and appear ready to build off a 52-win season, but there has been plenty of trade speculation surrounding the team.
Following a disappointing first round playoff loss, there has been plenty of discourse around the team, most notably Kevin Durant. However, there is one star that is guaranteed to stay for the meantime is Amen Thompson.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Thompson can be described as Houston’s only near-untouchable.
“I’ve been telling you for a while how much the Rockets value Amen Thompson,” MacMahon said. “I mean if there’s one untradable player on the roster it is him. According to their metrics, they think he is one of the top 10 and I might be inflating that number, most valuable player in the league.”
Thompson put pen to paper on a new deal. It was a lucrative rookie-scale extension for five years worth $208 million.
The question would be where this leaves a veteran star like Durant. He is used to being the main man, but it appears that the Rockets are grooming the next one. Durant is not actively being shopped, but according to MacMahon’s report, the Rockets would listen if a strong offer came their way.
Rockets-Kevin Durant Value May Not Be Too High
We can only speculate how high Durant’s trade value is, but one thing is for sure is that there might not be many teams out there looking to take on the kind of salary he commands at his age.
Durant’s public role off the court wasn’t always smooth this past season, with speculation about him being unhappy with the way head coach Ime Udoka runs things and his speculated links in the burner-account incident.
Durant hasn’t found much stability since his years with the Golden State Warriors. He is not a journeyman but more of a superstar not always keen on building something long term. It wouldn’t come as a shock if he leaves the Rockets just around a year after he joined.
What’s Next for Durant in Houston?
Durant will turn 38 later this month, but he still has at least two years remaining in his current deal. For next season, he is owed $43.9 million and $46.1 million for the following season.
Durant was brought into Houston as part of a record seven-team deal. He was added to help improve its move. He played 78 games in the regular season, which was particularly notable considering his recent injury history.
He can clearly still perform at an All-NBA level and help raise the ceiling of a hopeful championship contender. The elephant in the room is what would Durant be worth in today’s market. Given that he may likely be a short-term addition, future flexibility would be prioritised.
Durant could welcome an opportunity to still compete and play in the postseason. Given his durability in the past few years, he may pull a LeBron James and play longer than expected.
The issue for now is that most contending franchises are operating close to the luxury tax, and Durant may not be fancied as an addition unless a compromise is reached on his contract.
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