Rockets officially announce trade acquisitions of Kevin Durant, Clint Capela

USA Today

2 days ago

In a historic trade featuring an NBA-record seven teams, Kevin Durant and Clint Capela are officially members of the Houston Rockets.
With the NBA lifting its brief moratorium on player transactions, Sunday, July 6, was the first day in which deals could be finalized for the 2025-26 season.
In Houston, that allowed some long-awaited news to finally become official. Kevin Durant, a perennial All-Star forward and future Hall of Famer, is now a member of the Rockets.
'Kevin impacts the game on both ends of the court and is one of the most efficient scorers in the history of basketball,' said Rafael Stone, general manager of the Rockets. 'We liked the growth our team showed last season and believe Kevin's skill set will integrate seamlessly."
'Having played against Kevin and coached him before, I know he's the type of competitor who fits with what we've been building here in Houston,' added Ime Udoka, head coach. 'His skill level, love of basketball, and dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected players of his generation, and my staff and I are excited to work with him.'
Regarding Durant's career background, the press release reads:
Durant (6-foot-11, 240 pounds) is a former Most Valuable Player (MVP), 15-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection (First Team six times; Second Team five times), four-time scoring champion, and a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. He also holds a men's Olympic basketball record with four gold medals.
In 17 seasons, Durant has appeared in 1,123 games while averaging 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He is one of six players in NBA history with career averages of at least 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, joining Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Oscar Robertson. Durant is the only player in league history averaging those numbers along with at least 1.00 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Durant joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Karl Malone as the only players in NBA history with career totals of at least 30,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,000 steals, and 1,000 blocks. Durant ranks eighth all-time in scoring with 30,571 points and needs 849 to pass Chamberlain for seventh and 990 to pass Dirk Nowitzki for sixth.
In 2024-25, Durant started all 62 of his games played for Phoenix while averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks. He was one of six NBA players who averaged at least 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, and he joined Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players to have done so while also averaging at least 1.0 blocks per game. Durant also had the second-highest 3-point percentage (43.0%) of any player who averaged at least 2.0 3-pointers made in 2024-25.
Durant has averaged at least 25.0 points in each of his past 16 seasons played. LeBron James (20 times) is the only other player in NBA history with more than 12 seasons averaging 25-plus points. Last season marked Durant's third straight season, and his seventh overall, shooting 50.0% or better from the floor and 40.0% or better from 3-point range. No other player in league history has more than three seasons accomplishing that while averaging at least 25.0 points. Durant also has the second-best career free throw percentage (88.2%) of any player with at least 6,000 attempts.
Other teams involved in the seven-team trade include Atlanta, Brooklyn, Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota, and Phoenix (which received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft as part of Houston's outgoing package for Durant).
Essentially, the mega-deal incorporates a series of smaller trades into one transaction, which can be handled and approved by the league office in a single 'trade call.' For each team, specific acquisitions are available here.
Regarding Capela, the press release adds:
Capela (6-foot-10, 240 pounds) was originally the No. 25 overall pick by Houston in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft. He spent his first five and a half seasons with the Rockets prior to being acquired by Atlanta in February 2020.
For his career, Capela has appeared in 664 games with 587 starts while averaging 12.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 26.2 minutes per game. He has the sixth-highest field goal percentage (61.7%) among qualifiers in NBA history.
Last season, Capela appeared in 55 games with 41 starts for the Hawks while averaging 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. He became the 10th player in league history to have averaged at least 8.0 points and 8.0 rebounds while playing fewer than 22.0 minutes in a single season.
Dating back to 2017-18, Capela is averaging the second-most offensive rebounds (4.0 per) of any player, trailing only Rockets center Steven Adams (4.2 per). Capela ranks sixth all-time in offensive rebounding among qualifiers (3.7 per), while Adams is seventh (3.6 per).
Durant, Capela, and the rest of the new-look Rockets will open up 2025-26 preseason play on Monday, October 6, with a home game inside Houston's Toyota Center. The regular season will begin later that month.
Houston (52-30) is coming off a season with the second-best record in the Western Conference, and the hope is for Durant to help elevate them to true championship contention.
Capela will wear the No. 21 jersey with the Rockets, which is a change from the No. 15 that he wore during his first five-plus seasons with the franchise. Durant's jersey number has yet to be revealed.
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