Kevin Durant, despite being eligible for a $120 million max extension with the Rockets, only signed a $90 million, two-year deal with them to allow the franchise some flexibility to make more changes to the roster and extend other young players like Tari Eason.
Following the extension, Amen Thompson, who is Durant’s teammate on the Rockets, spoke to the media about this move during the post-practice scrum.
“It means a lot. We had to get that done expeditiously,” said Thompson when asked what it meant for him to have a veteran teammate like Durant extend his contract with the Rockets. “I mean, just the stuff everybody sees, you know, he’s a bucket. A really good teammate, very encouraging. He wants the young guys to be leaders. So, he encourages us, he listens to us, you know? That’s rare for vets,” Thompson further added on what he likes the most about playing with Durant so far.
“Generous guy, you know? That’s what I’m saying, he’s a great guy,” said Thompson when he found out that Durant took $30 million less than what he could have asked for.
Following the contract extension announcement, Durant, as usual, went on social media to see how the fans reacted to it. Durant responded to the Knicks writer Tommy Beer, who questioned whether this was truly a ‘sacrifice’ if he has earned that contract for a time when he will be 39 years old (two years later).
“What would u characterize it as? Since we’re characterizing sh** this morning,” wrote Durant sarcastically while subtly calling out the Knicks writer. Considering that Durant has declared his plans to retire with the Rockets if he gets the chance, this is a step in the right direction if he wants to win more before retiring.
The Rockets can feel the instant impact of having Kevin Durant bring his veteran experience to practices and in the preseason games he played. Reed Sheppard, for example, has already benefited from having Durant around to encourage him to step into the starting point guard’s role with confidence. Even though it may not be guaranteed this season, as Ime Udoka has admitted that the Rockets are planning to experiment with fluid starting lineups through the regular season.
After he dropped 29 points on the Hawks in their final preseason game, Sheppard revealed that Durant’s encouraging words helped him boost his confidence while entering the regular season of his sophomore year in the league.
Durant even defended Amen Thompson on social media after his recent fight with Jose Alvarado. Young forwards like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are also taking full advantage of having Durant on their team. A viral video showed that Durant has been closely working out with Smith Jr.
Therefore, Durant seems aligned with the vision that the Rockets’ front office had for their young core and is taking his veteran responsibilities very seriously. Durant ended last season while averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the regular season and shot 43% from three-point range during this time, showing he’s still a high-caliber superstar.
Will the experience and floor spacing options that Durant brings to the table be enough for the Rockets to realistically contend for a championship this year? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
