Why the Rockets changed course, fast-tracked their timeline to land Kevin Durant

New York Times

22-06-2025

For months on end, the message from the Houston Rockets was consistent: They had no plans to get into the Kevin Durant business.
The 36-year-old was a legend, to be sure, but Rockets sources had insisted that the combination of his age and the Rockets' internal confidence in a much-younger core meant his next destination would almost certainly be elsewhere. Never mind that the two teams had discussed a deal at the February trade deadline, or that their coach, Ime Udoka, had grown close with Durant during their time together in Brooklyn and was known to be a major advocate for a possible Durant move.
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The list of Durant clues was even longer from there. One of his assistant coaches, Royal Ivey, is a former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate of Durant's and has been one of his closest friends for decades. Just days before the deal went down, it was revealed that one of his University of Texas teammates, D.J. Augustin, would be added to the team's front office. Perhaps most of all, the Rockets' glaring weakness as a team — scoring — just so happened to be the very thing at which Durant had done better than nearly every other player in league history (he's eighth all-time).
There were all these signs that Durant was destined to land in Houston – at least in terms of how they were viewed around the league – but the drumbeat of denials remained.
Yet by the time the Durant dam finally broke on Sunday, with the Rockets landing Durant from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick and five second-round picks, it wasn't hard to understand why they'd changed course. In today's NBA, where parity reigns and second-apron realities of the luxury tax make it so hard to remain patient with a team's timeline, there is no time like the present. And after years of quietly scouring the market for their next star, with players like the Suns' Devin Booker, New Orleans' Zion Williamson, Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, Boston's Jaylen Brown and others known to be on the Rockets' wish list at various times, the focus had eventually turned to Durant.
So after weeks of negotiations between Phoenix and so many teams around the league, with Houston, San Antonio and Miami known to be Durant's preferred destinations and, per league sources, the Suns exploring a variety of three-team structures that never materialized, the Rockets relented. Their hope, of course, is that the choice to finally do this deal makes them instant title contenders. With Durant leading the way, veteran guard Fred VanVleet expected to return and rising stars like Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson on board, the Rockets decided their time is now.
Here's why the Rockets, aware that this move could make or break their promising era, pivoted from their longstanding stance on one of the game's greatest all-time talents.
Over multiple weeks of discussions with Phoenix, with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone leading the talks, Houston maintained a firm stance in its refusal to include young players like Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, team sources told The Athletic. The Rockets refused to give up the Suns' 2027 and 2029 first-round selections as well, no matter how motivated the Suns were to recoup those prized picks (they sent them to Brooklyn in the February 2023 Durant deal, and the Rockets landed them in a June 2024 deal with the Nets).
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The Rockets and Suns found common ground, however, in the availability of the No. 10 pick. Houston had been unable to bring in top players for workouts due to the increased likelihood of the deal and the Suns, through CEO Josh Bartelstein and owner Mat Ishbia, saw the selection as someone who could step in and contribute right away. To recoup assets in a return for Durant, different constructs involving three and four teams were presented, but those never gained suitable footing.
Ironically, the longer both sides maintained levels of obstinacy, the clearer it became that a deal made sense. As recently as Thursday, team sources say the two sides hadn't spoken in a week after a previous discussion didn't go well. Yet throughout the process, the pressure of the playoffs — both past and future — remained.
While the move wasn't directly tied to Green's struggles against the Warriors, it certainly didn't help his cause that he struggled so mightily at a pivotal point (he averaged 13.3 points while shooting just 37.2 percent overall and 29.5 from 3). Ever since he agreed to a three-year, $106 million extension in October, with Şengün having received a five-year deal on the same day, rival executives had predicted that Green might be on the move if he didn't meet this Rockets' moment. Despite Green's strong preference to stay in Houston, league sources said he became increasingly resigned to the reality he was on the move in the days leading up to the deal and received word that it was agreed upon approximately an hour before it was first reported by ESPN.
Meanwhile, the prospect of adding an experienced, proven postseason performer like Durant — while increasing the roles of Eason, Sheppard and Smith — was suddenly seen as the best win-now option on the Rockets' board. Even if it meant losing players in Green and Brooks, who had been so crucial to the Rockets' resurgence.
According to a source close to Durant, the future Hall of Famer is 'incredibly excited' about the opportunity to join a contender in Houston, surrounded by a talented coaching staff and top-five defensive unit. The news broke just as he was being interviewed in New York for Fanatics Fest, with the 14-time All-Star letting out a huge grin in front of hundreds of adoring fans.
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'We gon' see,' Durant said with a smile, regarding what to expect.
Durant has one season remaining on his current contract (worth $54.7 million). Yet while he may not sign an extension when he's eligible in July, team sources said there is a strong belief that this will be a long-term partnership. On paper, the Rockets' potential looks extremely promising.
Team sources said there are early indications Smith will likely return to the starting lineup, with Thompson — who originally replaced Smith last season after Smith broke his hand — slotting into Green's vacated starting spot. The Rockets now possess ample length at four starting positions, amplifying the defensive tools Udoka now has at his disposal.
The 47-year-old coach has made a serious impact since his arrival in the summer of 2023, with the Rockets going from 22 wins in the season before to 41 in his debut campaign and 52 last season. Udoka was rewarded with an extension last week and now finds himself with yet another gift in the form of Durant.
Now the Rockets, who embarked on this rebuilding journey when they traded James Harden four years ago, have a two-time champion in their midst and the goal of winning the franchise's next championship on their minds.