The Houston Rockets finally made the major leap, acquiring 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to bolster a team that was the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference but flopped in the postseason.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sunday that the Rockets sent the Phoenix Suns Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks to land the future Hall of Famer.
The trade cannot be finalized until July 6, “because of the poison pill restriction in the Jalen Green rookie extension,” according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
In Durant, the Rockets now have a go-to guy they can rely on in the postseason, especially on halfcourt setting, which they struggled with in a seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
The Rockets landed Durant without giving up much of their young core.
Initially, the Suns demanded more from the Rockets.
But the Rockets were unwilling to add more of their young talents and just offered a haul of second-round picks to get the deal done.
“Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard are among the young talents in Houston that Phoenix has expressed interest in. The Rockets have not been willing to part with any of the three to this point,” Clutchpoints’ Brett Seigel reported on Friday, June 20.
The Rockets remained firm and got Durant at their price range that only cost them essentially the polarizing Green and the No. 10 pick.
Their package to acquire Durant is way much lower than what the Suns gave up in 2023, which include four first-round picks and a pick swap on top of Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges for Durant at the trade deadline in 2023. Two of those picks remain with the Rockets.
Swapping Kevin Durant for Jalen Green is No-Brainer
The Rockets were a go-to guy away from making a deep playoff run.
Green, an outstanding scorer in the regular season, flopped in his first playoff appearance.
The former No. 2 pick, averaged just 13.3 points on 37.2% overall shooting and 29.5% from the 3-point line in the Rockets’ firs-round loss to the Golden State Warriors. He later admitted the “lights were too bright” at the start of the playoffs.
The 23-year-old guard averaged 21.0 points on 42.3% overall shooting and 35.4% from the 3-point line in the regular season where the Rockets clinched the No. 2 seed in the stacked Western Conference. But could not replicate that under the bright lights of the playoffs.
Green still has a long runway to blossom into a bona fide star. However, this Durant trade also represented the Rockets’ strong belief in Amen Thompson, who will now fill a larger role in Houston’s backcourt without Green.
The soon-to-be 37-year-old Durant is a certified bucket-getter despite his advanced age.
This past season, he still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games. Durant gives the Rockets a dynamic scoring punch when the going gets tough.
Kevin Durant Reunited With Ime Udoka, Royal Ivey
The Rockets were one of Durant’s preferred teams. He is reunited with Rockets coach Ime Udoka and assistant Royal Ivey.
Durant played under Udoka and Ivey in Brooklyn where they were assistant coaches. Ivey was also Durant’s teammate at Texas in college and with Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant has one year and $54.7 million left in his current four-year, $190 million contract. He is expected to re-sign with the Rockets for a two-year, $112 million extension or $124 million over the same length if he waits six months after the trade.
BREAKING: Rockets Acquire Kevin Durant on Slam Dunk Deal