Kevin Durant, right, gives the Rockets an All-Star talent on offense.
Scott Strazzante/Associated Press
On the last official day of the 2024-2025 NBA season, hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals between Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, the Houston Rockets completed a landscape-altering trade by acquiring superstar forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns.
The Rockets gave up two starters, guard Jalen Green and forward Dillon Brooks, in the trade and will slot Durant into the lineup as they look to build off a 52-win season as the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed.
After 17 seasons in the NBA, Durant’s credentials are undeniable. He’s a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, a 15-time All-Star, a four-time scoring champion, has won league MVP and Rookie of the Year, and ranks eighth on the NBA’s all-time career scoring leaderboard.
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But how will he fit on the Rockets?
Durant immediately adds a go-to scorer to a defensive-minded Houston team badly in need of an offensive punch. In 2024-25, the Rockets’ offense ranked among the bottom third of the league in halfcourt points per play and 3-point percentage. Durant is a prolific shooter who averaged 53.2% on shots in the paint, 53.1% on mid-range shots and 43% on 3-pointers. His versatility and ability to create for himself off the dribble can take some of the offensive burden off Rockets center Alperen Şengün, the team’s top rebounder who was also second in scoring and assists average.
Durant’s offensive skill set will help make up for what the Rockets are losing in Green, a dynamic scorer known for his explosiveness at the rim, and Brooks, who was Houston’s best catch-and-shoot option and a valuable defender.
Durant joins a starting lineup that includes Şengün and the backcourt duo of Amen Thompson and point guard Fred VanVleet, who has a June 29 decision deadline on his team option for next season and is expected to return. The other open spot could fall to Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., a full-time starter his first two seasons who last winter lost his starting spot to Thompson while recovering from a broken hand.
Smith, a 6-foot-11 forward who averaged 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 57 games played this season, is an effective jump shooter who can play on the wing or as a small-ball center. He was one of the Rockets’ most consistent performers during a first-round playoff series loss to the Warriors, when he shot 50% from the field, 80% at the free-throw line and 10-of-22 behind the arc despite playing limited minutes.
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Defensively, the Rockets will miss Brooks’ impact on the perimeter but still have two incredibly versatile defenders in Smith and Thompson. That duo can provide rim protection and harass ball handlers up top, giving Durant the flexibility to roam and use his length to disrupt passing lanes or block weakside shots.
The Rockets are once again projecting to have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA with endless opportunities for coach Ime Udoka to mix and match lineups. Behind a starting lineup of VanVleet-Thompson-Durant-Smith-Şengün, the Rockets’ bench unit includes guard Reed Sheppard, guard Aaron Holiday, forward Tari Eason, forward Cam Whitmore and center Steven Adams.
The offseason is still young, but with a major offensive upgrade in Durant and a top-tier defense, it looks like the Rockets are poised to compete at the top of the Western Conference in 2025-26.
