Kevin Durant has officially landed in Houston, and head coach Ime Udoka is already setting the tone for how the superstar will fit in. Speaking on Durant’s arrival, Udoka emphasized that while Durant’s scoring and efficiency will raise the Rockets’ ceiling, he doesn’t want the team’s young core to take a backseat in the process.
“He’s a guy that doesn’t want (us) to just lean on him,” Udoka said, via the Houston Chronicle. “He wants to kind of be implemented into the group, and people not to take a backseat to him. That’s his message to a lot of the young guys: Be who you are, continue to grow in those areas, and I’ll fit in where we see necessary.”
At 36, Durant joins his third team in four seasons, and there have been questions about his fit with the Rockets after failed stints with the Nets and Suns. Udoka, however, has no doubt that Durant will raise his team’s ceiling this upcoming season.
“The things that he does on the court, offensively, are seamless,” Udoka added. “You can fit him into any system. You’ve seen that wherever he’s gone, even in the last few years. The efficiency, the numbers at an older age, he’s still doing that at a very high level. So he’ll fit in seamlessly with our guys. I think the attention that he draws will be beneficial to others. He’s a guy you can lean on at times to close games, but a very unselfish player as well with a high IQ.”
Even without Durant, the Rockets reached contender status. Led by Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson, they won 52 games last season to finish second in the West. When they were knocked out in the first round, however, the franchise responded by trading Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for Kevin Durant.
Besides being a champion with years of experience, Durant’s status as an elite scorer will help the Rockets become a more consistent offensive threat. As a two-time champion, 15x All-Star, and four-time scoring leader, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season. That’s a great addition for a team that ranked 13th in offensive rating, with an average of 114.3 points per game. If they’re able to maintain their elite defensive status, they could be among the NBA’s most well-rounded teams in 2025-26.
The important thing for the Rockets is that Durant isn’t coming in to disrupt what they’ve built. His goal is to find his fit and bring out the most in his teammates while letting them do their thing. The Rockets have made it clear that Durant isn’t their priority right now, and he seems ready to accept a new role in this late stage of his career.
If it all comes together, Houston might have found the perfect blend of veteran leadership and youthful energy. Durant doesn’t need to carry the Rockets; he just needs to elevate them. Ultimately, if the young core keeps growing while leaning on his experience, this team could be a real problem in the West for years to come.
