Vernon Maxwell did not hold back when talking about the current state of the Houston Rockets. Speaking on the All The Smoke podcast, the former champion pointed to a mix of on-court stagnation and off-court tension, with Kevin Durant sitting at the center of it all.
Vernon Maxwell: “Looking right now, man. It’s so much s**t going on over there in Houston, man. I don’t know what’s going on because they don’t really f**k with me no more like that. But it’s okay. I’m good.”
Matt Barnes: “Do they still owe you a ring, too?”
Vernon Maxwell: “Yeah, they owe me a goddamn ring. That’s what me and someone was talking about. I need that goddamn second ring, though. That part right there. But no, the Rockets, man. Like I said last year, all we needed was KD. We got KD. We got to roll the ball out to get you a bucket. But now everybody’s standing around watching KD.
“And I mean, s**t is just… I don’t know. They said some s**t about some secret page KD did and talked about some of the players on the team and they f***ing split the goddamn guys up. Guys don’t like to high-five each other no more. They don’t want to bump chests no more with each other. Everybody just split up the whole f***ing team.”
“So I don’t know, man. There’s a lot of s**t going on out there. But Houston, y’all need to get me back after that motherf***er, though. I could change this s**t around. Let me talk to them young motherf***ers after that.”
Matt Barnes: “Max, I think they need to make you an assistant coach, Max.”
Vernon Maxwell stood up and walked away, hinting that he didn’t agree with Barnes. He returned.
Matt Barnes: “Is that you agree with me?”
Vernon Maxwell: “Hell no, not on Max. I can’t deal with these motherf***ing young players… I’ll be done swung on one of the motherf***ers. We be there moving furniture. You know, young kids don’t listen no more.”
Maxwell’s biggest concern starts with how the team plays. He said the idea behind bringing in Durant was simple. Get a bucket when things break down. But instead of fitting into a system, Maxwell believes the system has shifted entirely toward Durant. Players are now standing around, watching him operate, rather than moving, cutting, and playing with flow.
That kind of change affects everything.
Offenses built on movement create rhythm and trust. When that disappears, players disengage. Maxwell sees that happening in real time. The Rockets, once expected to elevate with Durant, now look disconnected in stretches, especially when defenses key in on isolation sets.
But his stronger claim goes beyond basketball.
Maxwell referenced reports about a burner account tied to Durant, where negative comments about teammates allegedly surfaced. Whether confirmed or not, Maxwell believes the damage is already done. According to him, that situation has fractured the locker room.
NBA locker rooms run on relationships. Talent wins games, but chemistry sustains teams over a long season. Maxwell’s claim suggests that trust inside the Rockets has taken a hit, and once that happens, it is hard to repair quickly.
The Rockets are still remaining 4th as they did before the All-Star break, with a record of 41-26. But their play has been a big concern. Since the All-Star break, the Rockets are 8-5, which on paper looks solid, but the context tells a different story.
Five of those losses came against the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Out of those games, Houston had strong chances to win against Miami and Golden State but failed to close.
The Lakers’ loss stood out the most.
In that game, the Rockets completely broke down in the second half, struggling to generate offense late as the Lakers repeatedly trapped and double-teamed Durant. Once that happened, the offense stalled, ball movement disappeared, and no one else stepped up to relieve the pressure, which is exactly the issue Maxwell was describing.
That pattern is what raises concern.
Durant’s history with burner accounts adds context. This is not a new storyline. Over the years, his use of anonymous accounts has drawn attention and criticism, often raising questions about how he engages with narratives around him and his teams. In Houston, that storyline now appears to have crossed into team dynamics, at least from Maxwell’s perspective.
Whether every detail is accurate or not, Maxwell’s point remains clear.
In the NBA, perception can be just as powerful as reality, and right now, he believes the Rockets are dealing with both.
