The Houston Rockets sent out the 10th overall pick for Kevin Durant for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns, but they may not have been invested in him as much as they initially thought.
When the Houston Rockets finally made Kevin Durant’s big hit trade, the superstar was expected to sign a two-year biggest expansion, possibly end his Texas career.
However, he has not yet signed such a deal, and the Rockets seem to be smart and committed to the younger cores of Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Alperen Senggan and Reed Shepherd.
If Durant signs a two-year deal, Houston is not expected to provide the most valuable offseason acquisition, as it could limit the amount the Rockets can offer to Thompson and Shepherd when the Rockets are due for their extension.
Even after adding famous stars, the Rockets seem to be committed to their younger core and long-term success.
Durant is the last year of a four-year, $194.2 million contract and is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $122.1 million. But until he places the pen on paper, we must operate under the assumption that he will become an unlimited free agent next summer.
If the Rockets offer him the biggest, the general consensus is that he signs without signing immediately. However, even after sending the 10th pick (Khaman Maluach), Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns, Rocket is not interested in offering him $122.1 million.
“I don’t know that the rocket will put anything on a table close to Max,” said ESPN’s Insider Tim McMahon. “I don’t think the Rockets are ideal, but I don’t think he’ll panic when he enters the season with Kevin Durant on his contract.”
With Durant in town, the Rockets will be taking part in the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder as Western Conference classes. Even if they leave next summer, there is reason to believe that Sengung, Thompson, Shepherd, Smith Jr., Tali Eason and Fred Van Vleet will also be able to win the title in 2026.
However, Rockets and Durant can be on the same page, allowing the team to have both immediate and long-term success.
In a perfect world, at least for Durant, Rocket will give him as much money as possible. However, he fully understands that he is aging and that Rocket does not consider him a long-term work.
Durant won two titles with the Golden State Warriors, but most fans don’t consider these two rings “legal” by forming a super team and finishing all the super teams.
Even his fair share of critics and detractors, the Rocket ring only cemented his legacy as one of the best players ever.
Based on that, he may be willing to play pay cuts at the maximum if Houston is making a competitive offer.
“And by what I’ve heard, they haven’t gone all the way to an extension of Kevin Durant,” McMahon repeated. “I don’t mean that won’t happen, but you know that in that ‘Hey, he’s not going to push a full max’. ”
While Durant has been on fire for a long time to be a “cupcake” while pushing his way to get into the net during his contract with the Warriors, demanding a deal with the Suns, and then again to get out of Phoenix, it would be hard to end his career if he agrees to take wage cuts to help his younger team win the banner.