Kevin Durant‘s arrival indicates the start of a new era with the Houston Rockets. While the star forward has seen several changes in scenery during his illustrious career, Houston will attempt to be his last stop by shifting their focus towards discussing a two-year, $112 million extension with the 36-year-old.
The Kevin Durant offseason trade saga officially came to an end with the Phoenix Suns trading the 36-year-old star to the Rockets. While the Suns received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a handful of second-round draft picks, the Rockets received the key to winning an NBA title.
The Houston Rockets have slowly but surely emerged as one of the most formidable teams in the Western Conference. Led by a talented young center in Alperen Sengun, along with a host of rising stars, the Rockets emerged as playoff favorites last season after emerging as the No. 2 seed in the conference.
As talented as the team was, their inexperience was put on full display during their first-round matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
The seventh-seeded Warriors displayed their unyielding tenacity, driven by veteran leadership in this series. Even with Stephen Curry being sidelined for some games, the Warriors came out on top after a grueling seven-game bout.
A first-round exit naturally indicated a need for change. With Jalen Green’s abysmal performances in the postseason, the call for his departure was raised almost immediately.
The Rockets were among the few teams that were linked with Kevin Durant from the start, displaying a keen interest in acquiring the two-time NBA champion. Durant’s veteran experience, along with his playoff success, brings a lot of value to a young team with title aspirations.
The acquisition of Durant has undoubtedly transformed the Rockets into title contenders. But, at 36 years old, Durant’s arrival also becomes an indicator of a very brief title window, which the franchise will have to make the most of.
In light of this, Houston’s decision to work towards a two-year extension with Durant makes sense.
The forward remains an extremely productive force on the floor, having averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on an impressive 52.7% from the field. In any other system, this output would likely decrease, but considering that Durant will remain the primary option on the team, the team can expect more of the same from the star.
The greater concern involving Durant will be his availability over the course of the season. A high-usage rate in a high-intensity offense would require some degree of load management. If the Rockets can adapt to these challenges successfully, then there is no reason to believe that the deal would hurt the team’s immediate future.
But the Rockets’ offseason is far from being over. With trade rumors still seeing the franchise linked with the likes of Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston could be looking to make a bigger splash.
