It was clear the Houston Rockets needed to make a change if they wanted to improve their roster. As a result, they assessed their treasure trove of assets and did what they could to acquire a star who turned out to be Kevin Durant. On paper, KD fits extremely well alongside the rest of their core pieces. The only issue lies with his increasing age.
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On June 22, 2025, the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets finalized a trade involving Durant. Houston received the 15-time All-Star, while Phoenix acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (which turned into Khaman Maluach) and five second-round picks.
Durant will turn 37 in three months, meaning he will not be able to produce at an elite level forever. But that doesn’t mean he can’t elevate the Rockets to a championship contender now. Naturally, questions have been raised over the Rockets’ choice to swing for the fences with him, even though many are happy to bet on the veteran.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade finds himself in the latter camp. “I feel like both teams got what they needed,” Wade said on Time Out. “Houston got KD, they got the scorer that they wanted,” he asserted.
Based on Houston’s first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, Green simply didn’t inspire enough confidence to be their go-to scorer.
“They got a chance to look at Jalen Green this year in the playoffs, and they probably thought he was a little too far away from what they were ready to do right now,” Wade proclaimed.
Green notably struggled against the Warriors, averaging just 13.3 points and 2.9 assists on 37.2% shooting from the field. Outside of his 38-point performance in Game 2, he was a non-factor. His inconsistencies derailed the Rockets in a seven-game series they could’ve won. They won’t have those problems with Durant.
In stark contrast to Green, the two-time NBA champion has averaged 25 or more points per game in every season of his career that wasn’t his rookie campaign. In the 2024-25 season, he efficiently shot 52.7% from the field and 43% from three-point range.
The Rockets won’t task Durant with too much outside of scoring since he has role players such as Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason surrounding him.
It isn’t every day that the opportunity to add a generational talent comes knocking at your door.
For instance, in 2018, the Toronto Raptors took advantage of their opportunity with Kawhi Leonard. It turned out to be a one-year rental, but it resulted in an NBA championship. There’s a likelihood Durant only plays three more seasons in the NBA. If one of those results in a championship, the gamble will have paid off.
