The Houston Rockets’ rebuild has finally paid off. They have returned to relevance since trading away franchise superstar James Harden in 2021. They’ve stockpiled a plethora of young talent but are still a star away from reaching true contention. Shannon Sharpe believes Kevin Durant would be the perfect addition. Sharpe put everyone on the table to deal aside from All-Star Alperen Sengun and 22-year-old Amen Thompson.
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Following an excellent 2024-25 regular season, the Rockets secured the second seed in the West. Their reward for asserting their dominance in the league was a first-round matchup against the Warriors. Although Golden State has them beat in experience, the Rockets continue to put up a fight.
The Warriors currently lead the series 3-2, after Houston forced a Game 6. The Rockets have shown they are a great team, but they are missing a solid go-to scorer. Golden State has two of them in Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, which has been a deciding factor.
NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe believes that’s Houston’s missing piece to get them over the hump. He says the Rockets have the assets to complete a trade for Durant. However, he doesn’t even consider Amen Thompson as a potential trade chip.
“I’d be willing to part with anybody else to get Kevin Durant,” Sharpe said. “The only two people that are untouchable for me are Thompson and Sengun.”
Sharpe didn’t hesitate to include players like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks and Reed Sheppard in a swap for Durant. As long as the team retains Sengun and Thompson, he believes they have the infrastructure to become a title contender.
It makes sense why he believes Sengun is untouchable. After all, he was a first-time All-Star this past season. Thompson hasn’t yet shown his full potential but has provided glimpses of the player he can become.
Houston held a top-five defense in the NBA during the regular season, thanks in large part to Thompson. He is an offensive player’s worst nightmare because of his freakish athleticism and intangibles.
Amen has only scratched the surface of the type of player he can be. His offensive game still has a long way to go, but a defender like him doesn’t come around often. The Rockets would be foolish to let him go prematurely.
