When it was announced that Kevin Durant was being traded to the Houston Rockets yesterday, it caught everyone completely off guard. We were expecting a deal, but we weren’t expecting it to happen hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Many analysts had to keep their opinions subdued in favor of the rare event.
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But now that The Finals are over, Stephen A. Smith has had more time to sit down and digest the trade. He talked about who he liked the trade for most, why both sides did it, while questioning the Miami Heat’s lack of motivation to get involved.
The final details of the trade are as follows. The Rockets are receiving Kevin Durant, and that’s it. Meanwhile, the Suns are receiving Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, and 5 second-round picks.
Stephen A.’s initial thoughts revolved around how the trade officially opened the title window for Houston.
“OKC is still a +220, still about nearly four times better than the Houston Rockets. But that doesn’t mean the Houston Rockets aren’t a title contender. As you see, they’re in the top 4 in terms of ESPN Bet odds, because they should be,” Stephen A. said on The Stephen A. Smith show.
Even though it feels like a dynasty is beginning in OKC after they won the title, the Rockets should certainly be in the championship conversation as well. With Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and now Durant, they should be a formidable force on offense and defense.
Initially, some Rockets fans questioned giving up so much for KD. But Stephen A. reminded them that he’s worth it.
“Well, Kevin Durant is like 36, turns 37 at the end of September. And he’s in a position to sign a two-year deal, which means he’d be playing and making over $60+ million approaching his 39th birthday. My attitude is so what. He’s Kevin Durant, he’s that dude,” Stephen A. said.
At the end of the day, it is Kevin Durant. He’s seventh on the all-time scoring list and is on a fast track to the Hall of Fame. When we look back on his legacy, we’ll remember KD as one of the toughest players to guard in NBA history. It was a no-brainer for the Rockets to make the trade.
That’s why Stephen A. doesn’t understand why the Heat, who reportedly had a deal on the table, didn’t get more involved in the trade. Because they could’ve gotten one of the greatest to ever play.
“I’m still trying to figure out how the hell the Miami Heat didn’t prioritize getting him. Now, I know you don’t want to give up Tyler Herro because you want Kevin Durant to play with somebody. So, you want him to play with a Tyler Herro and a Bam Adebayo. I get that. But as long as you got those two, I don’t give a damn what you gotta give up to get Kevin Durant; you do it,” Stephen A. urged.
The Heat reportedly had a deal on the table for Durant. They just had to give up Jaime Jaquez Jr, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the number 20 overall pick, and some draft capital. But Miami declined the offer. It’s a puzzling decision, to say the least.
In Stephen A.’s opinion, the Heat needs to be better as an organization. Because, as of right now, they aren’t delivering enough as a premier NBA franchise.
“You’ve gotta be able to get something. You can’t be in South Beach, squeezing and playing for the play-in, and then you’re going home the second game of a play-in or the first round of the playoffs. It’s Pat Riley, Mickey Harrison, Erik Spoelstra. We just expect better,” Stephen A. stated.
For a team in a great market with a good fanbase, the Heat have made a string of bad moves in recent years. From seemingly overvaluing Herro and his trade value in comparison to Damian Lillard, to alienating Jimmy Butler, they just haven’t been on the right track since making the Finals in 2023.
But what about the Suns? Well, when the news first dropped, many fans believed they got the short end of the bargain. After all, Green has been disappointing for where he was drafted to be at this point in his career. Brooks is a career journeyman at this point. And second-round picks aren’t flashy. The 10th overall pick is great, but for Durant, fans felt they should’ve gotten more.
Stephen A. tends to disagree. “Phoenix, one could argue, they could have gotten better. I’m not so sure of that. So, they had to take the trade that they could get.”
Stephen A. went on to explain that because of his age and choices of destinations, the Suns ultimately couldn’t get a king’s ransom for KD. It may be hard to understand for some fans, but Durant revealed that he was open to the trade. So, Phoenix got an offer they wanted and pounced on it.
All in all, it’s a massive trade that could have lasting consequences next season and beyond. It’s a lot of draft capital to part with, but Ime Udoka and the Rockets are showing that they’re ready to go all in and compete for a title. It’s what you want to see out of a franchise with young talent.
The question is, did they press the fast-forward button too soon? We’ll have to wait and see. It could end up being a risky deal if Durant begins to decline.
