How Kevin Durant Trade affects both the Sun and the Rocket
USA Today Sports ‘Lorenzo Reyes analyzes the impact of Kevin Durant Trade on both Suns and Rockets.
Sports Pulse
Kevin Durant is moving again.
The Phoenix Suns will ship Durant, two-time NBA champion, a 15-time All-Star and one of his generation of elite players and scorers, to the Houston Rocket in exchange for a No. 10 pick and five second round picks in the 2025 draft.
The person spoke anonymously on Sunday, June 22nd. Because they were not given the authority to publicly discuss trade until it became official.
Durant is set to enter the final season of his contract.
A transaction cannot be formalized until July 6th, the end of the transaction moratorium, which allows teams to sign a completed transaction with players.
ESPN was the first to report news of the transaction.
He won back-to-back NBA championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, Durant has sought another title. His statistical production remains constant, but his stint with the Brooklyn net and the Suns did not advance to a serious contest between either team.
And Durant is set to enter the 2025-26 season at age 37, which may present his last chance to compete for another NBA final.
This past season, Phoenix missed the play-in window and finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record. The Suns dealt with several injuries throughout the season. This forced Durant to continue towards the end of the regular season, requiring him to miss Phoenix’s final seven games.
Having had the highest salary in the NBA along with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns commanded a big salary, struggled with Gel and lacked depth. When trying to solve these problems, players often had to change roles and responsibilities, and ultimately former coach Mike Budenholzer sacrificed his job.
Despite this, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 62 appearances.
Why did the rocket trade for Kevin Durant?
At Durant, the Rockets have proven merchandise and elite, as well as three-level scorers, allowing them to easily knock down shots, especially late in the game.
This should be an immediate help to Houston, where there is clearly no top-scoring threat and sometimes the attacks are stagnant. The Rockets, the second seed of the Western Conference, bounced back from the first round of the playoffs. This move should enhance Houston’s chances of running deep into the postseason.
The Suns now have to find a competitive formula, while bringing all the guards into the attack. Green, 23, averages 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season. He struggled in the playoffs but is a hyper-athletic, streak-like security guard who can score prolifically. Brooks is like a defensive player who can slip into small, positive roles and plays the position. They also participated in four-time All-Star Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Kevin Durant’s career statistics
With 30,571 career points, Durant ranks 8th on the highest scoring list of all time, and is in the real position to climb further. Durant, who scored 1,647 points for the Suns this season, will need just 1,722 points to surpass No. 5 on the list Michael Jordan (32,292).
Durant, a four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA Finals most valuable player, 11 All-NBA selections and 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player, was second in the Seattle Super Sonics (which later became the Oklahoma City Thunder) in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Team USA fixture Durant is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
How old is Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant is currently 36 years old, but will turn 37 on September 29th. He is expected to enter the final year of his contract and will pay $54.7 million. Given the haul they shipped to Phoenix to acquire Durant, the Rocket is expected to seek an extension with Durant.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
