The NBA world already knows one of the major storylines for the offseason before a minute of Playoff basketball has been played. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is expected to leave the franchise over the summer after a 36-46 season, which saw Durant’s third year in Phoenix end with the firing of a third head coach.
Durant reportedly has a long list of suitors he’s interested in discussing a future with. One of those teams was said to be the Houston Rockets, whose interest in Durant was first reported in June 2024. However, Marc Stein reports that the Rockets will not pursue a trade for the 36-year-old Durant as they’re a much younger squad.
“All season long on The Stein Line, we’ve been reporting that the Rockets’ next significant trade would not happen in-season (as proved true) and is unlikely to target Kevin Durant because the future Hall of Famer is not on the same timeline as Houston’s promising young core.”
“With the 52-win Rockets soon to open a playoff series against Golden State, sources tell Jake Fischer and me a Houston pursuit of Durant is even “less likely” than previously thought,” Stein added. “Phoenix today acknowledged KD could be dealt this offseason.”
From the expectation that the Rockets would be frontrunners in a potential Durant trade to now being told they’re likely out of the race is quite the swing. The Rockets control multiple future Suns first-round picks, with many assuming that the Rockets acquired those last summer to entice them into a potential Durant trade.
It seems they’d rather use those assets elsewhere to land a player who can match the timeline their young core is on. Outside veterans like Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks, the oldest player in the Rockets’ core rotation is the 23-year-old Jalen Green.
Adding Durant and giving up other assets to make that happen doesn’t seem to make sense when the Rockets have a potential decade-long window ahead of them. There might be a need to make a star addition at some point in this run, maybe even next season, but it doesn’t have to be Durant to facilitate title success for the Rockets.
The Best Kevin Durant Destination Is Obvious
The Rockets seemed like one of the perfect destinations for Durant. They have a problem with offense, and Durant is the easiest fix for that, effortlessly melding into an on- or off-ball scoring role.
With the defenders on the Rockets, Durant would have plenty of cover around him as well to focus on maximizing his offensive impact. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games this season, proving his offense is still elite.
Now that the Rockets aren’t an option, the Dallas Mavericks seem like the next best bet. It reunites Durant with Kyrie Irving, who won’t play until January 2026, and teams him up with Anthony Davis. Durant can take up the frontcourt No. 1 option role ahead of Davis, allowing the power forward to focus on being the best defender he can be.
The Mavericks likely lose options like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, among others, but this deal will be a reflection of the aggressive win-now mode they’re entering now after trading Luka Doncic away.
