The Houston Rockets just acquired a haul of picks in an ongoing effort to acquire one of the game’s greatest scorers. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team’s grand plan is to use the bassets they just traded for to make a deal with the Suns for Kevin Durant.
“Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes far easier if they can return the Suns’ picks that they gave up in the Durant deal to the Nets. Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change next season. But now, Houston has the picks to make the Suns whole again.”
Durant, 35, is a 16-year NBA veteran who averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 52.3% shooting last season. He’s been with the Suns since 2023 after stints with the Thunder, Warriors, and the Brooklyn Nets. The 14x All-Star has two years left on his contract, worth over $105 million ($51.2 million and $54.7 million). Now, he’s on the trade block once again with a new team on the radar: the Houston Rockets.
After trading Mikal Bridges, the Nets agreed to swap draft picks with the Rockets, who took back some of the Suns’ first-rounders in return. In an ideal world, the Rockets would then use the picks in a package for Kevin Durant, a 2x champion, either this summer or next offseason.
The Suns currently have no plans to trade their franchise star (who they gave up so much to get) but that is subject to change depending on how the 2024-25 campaign plays out. If they lose in the first round again, or worse, it could be enough for the Suns to pull the plug on this regime and start the slate clean.
In this scenario, the Suns would want picks to orchestrate a quick rebuild and the Rockets would be in a good position to outbid their competitors. With Durant, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Dillon Brooks, and Amen Thompson, the Rockets could be a formidable force in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Durant is nearly 36 years old and it’s not likely that he’ll be playing at an elite level for much longer. To give up so much for him now might be a mistake given the timeline of their other core players.
That’s why the Rockets will instead focus on using the picks on other assets instead with hopes of improving their team to make a playoff run in the 2024-25 season. If they can acquire a solid role player off the bench or even a proven star like Klay Thompson or Paul George, they might be better off than if they were to trade for Kevin Durant.
For now, it’s still just a distant dream for the Rockets but it’s impossible to mark as impossible given how many times Durant has jumped ship before. The Rockets would be a new and unexpected stop for the 2x champion but it could work to his benefit if they manage to make a respectable playoff run.
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