The basketball world will be remembering January 22nd for quite some time, it seems. The date was already scheduled to host the NBA Finals first Game 7 in nearly a decade, but the festivities have since been enhanced by Kevin Durant’s trade news.
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After a tumultuous tenure with the Phoenix Suns, the star forward is headed south to join the Houston Rockets. In exchange for the scoring legend, Houston is sending over Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks. News of the trade initially broke while Durant was in attendance at this year’s Fanatics Fest.
While the timing of things couldn’t have been any better from a promotional standpoint, Durant’s attendance at the event also allowed him to cross paths with some of the NFL’s finest. In fact, the savvy veteran even managed a recruitment attempt on behalf of his beloved Washington team.
While he’s unlikely to wrangle Micah Parsons away from Jerry Jones, Durant will at least be able to find solace in the fact that the Commanders are now bolstered by the LSU sensation, Jayden Daniels. When accounting for offensive metrics and playoff performances, Daniels’ 2024 campaign was widely regarded as the best rookie quarterback season in NFL history.
Suffice to say, the 24-year-old proved to live up to the expectations that Durant had for him prior to the start of the regular season. “He’s like the KD of college football last year with his body type,” he explained.
“You watch him on TV; it’s easy to watch their team because of how he plays. So, hopefully, he brings that same type of enthusiasm to the game to Washington. Everyone is rallying around him, we feel like we got a player that can take us somewhere now.”
Kevin Durant says Micah Parsons will be a Washington Commander at some point in his career.
Kay Adams: "When?"
Durant: "I will say two years from now."
Parsons: "Yo, I only rock with Dan Quinn."
Durant: "Exactly. That's all ya need to rock with!"
(🎥 @FanaticsFest) pic.twitter.com/22CLa3EeZo
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 22, 2025
Considering that Daniels was able to turn that “somewhere” into an NFC Championship appearance, the franchise’s first since 1991, he certainly appears to be worthy of the “slim reaper” title.
While the comparison of the two may appear to be hyperbolic at first glance, there’s actually a surprising amount of similarity between the two. At 6-foot-11, Durant is obviously the taller and larger candidate, but both of them are rather slender for their job titles.
Daniels, who weighs approximately 210 pounds, is actually below the average weight range of NFL quarterbacks. Pair that with his 6-foot-4 frame, and he certainly gives off the appearance of a frail signal caller.
Both men have managed to create a name for themselves despite their lack of muscle mass; however, Daniels still has a ways to go should he hope to be as recognizable as Durant. The newfound hope of Washington figures to be a prominent part of the Commanders’ franchise moving forward, meaning that he should have plenty of opportunities to eclipse his NBA role model.
