Breaking: Kevin Durant Traded to Houston Rockets

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Just hours before Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the first big domino of the offseason has fallen. Reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Houston Rockets are trading for 15x All-Star Kevin Durant. The trade goes as follows:

Houston Rockets Receive:

Kevin Durant

Phoenix Suns Receive:

Jalen Green

Dillon Brooks

No. 10 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Five second-round picks

For the Houston Rockets, who finished 52-30 and second in the Western Conference, they add one of the best pure scorers of all-time in Kevin Durant. Set to be 37 by the time the 2025-26 NBA season begins, Durant has shown very little signs of slowing down. In 62 games during the 2024-25 season, Durant averaged 26.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.2 BPG on shooting splits of 52% from the field and 43% from three. Durant is set to make $54 million next season before coming a free agent in the summer of 2026.

Durant is added to a promising core featuring All-Star Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr in addition to another championship veteran in Fred VanVleet and former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Steven Adams. The Rockets move on from Jalen Green, the no. 2 pick of the 2021 draft. Green has had his ups and downs during his tenure with the Rockets but had his worst performances during their first-round playoff matchup against the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 playoffs. In the series against the Warriors, Green would have one 30+ point performance but would also have six performances with 12 points or less.

Already showing promise with the team they had, adding Durant turns the Rockets into a legitimate championship contender in a West full of contenders. While they lost in the first round due to a lack of experience, Durant adds a championship caliber superstar that could help the team push for a championship while their best young players are still on friendlier contracts.

For Phoenix, they are finally admitting their big three of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal did not work. Despite the success the team first had when Durant was traded to the Suns, that core had been separated through various trades. They now attempted to retool around Devin Booker instead of completely rebuilding their roster. With Bradley Beal having a no trade clause in his contract, he’ll remain with the team until he decides he does not want to be with the team.

Putting Jalen Green alongside Devin Booker is a questionable choice given their play styles, but Green could give the Suns the opportunity to rebuild his trade value and flip him in another trade down the road. The most important piece returning for the Suns in this trade is the 2025 first-round draft pick. Phoenix’s own draft pick originally traded to Brooklyn before the Rockets acquired it, the Suns get their own lottery pick in the draft. That pick could get them a young talent they can try to pair next to Devin Booker, or given their recent history, try to trade the pick before draft night to get another veteran next to Booker.

With many outlets reporting that it’s unlikely that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will be traded this offseason, Durant’s move to Houston may be the biggest blockbuster trade that’s seen this offseason. For the Houston Rockets, this move signifies their push to win a championship in the next season or two while for the Suns, the trade signifies the end of the big three era and the fall of the Suns after a quick run with championship contention.