The Houston Rockets came away as the winners of the offseason after they traded for one of the best players in the NBA, Kevin Durant.
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Piror ot Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Rockets wasted no time getting their tremendous offseason rolling by acquiring the 15-time All-Star. Because they acquired Durant, the Rockets are now among the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy this upcoming season.
The Rockets have a long way to go for that, and there is a chance that Durant could be one-and-done in Houston. Durant is under contract for only this season, and if both sides fail to come up with a deal, the 36-year-old could hit free agency next summer.
If that happens to be the case, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald advises watching for the Heat to make a move on the two-time champion.
“Durant will forever be a Heat possibility if he makes it to free agency; the Heat always has held him in high regard, but key members of the organization disagreed about which players to offer in trade negotiations with Phoenix in June.”
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The Heat were among those in the running to acquire Durant this summer, but they fell short.
Durant currently has one year left on his contract and is eligible to be traded or sign an extension at any time during the upcoming 2025-26 season. The Rockets gave up quite a large sum for the future Hall of Famer, so they’ll be trying to do all they can to retain him.
However, if Durant and the Rockets fail to come up with a deal, he will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. That could result in the Rockets trading Durant prior to the 2026 trade deadline if the season doesn’t go as planned or if he expresses a desire to explore his options next summer.
Kevin Durant Blockbuster Trade to Houston
The Phoenix Suns tarded Durant in late June to the Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and five second-round picks.
The Rockets secured the No. 2 seed in the West last season but came up short in the opening round of the playoffs. This year, they’ll aim to take that next step forward, with hopes that Durant can be the difference-maker to push them over the top.
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