NBA Insider dumps cold water on Kevin Durant-Rockets trade rumors

Houston Rockets fans who were hoping for a superstar trade using their litany of draft picks and young players may have to hit the pause button on their wish for now.

NBA Insider Marc Stein had recently discussed the idea of the Rockets pursuing a big name in trade, with their sights set on 14-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant. Now, Stein is walking that stance back. In his recent newsletter, he outlined the Rockets' desire to prioritize this year's roster and its development over making a splashy trade, calling their interest in Durant "overstated."

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Rockets fans have a wet blanket thrown on their dreams of the acquisition of stars like Kevin Durant by NBA Insider

The Rockets are an organization bursting at the seams with young talent and draft assets. With all the talented players and only so much playing time and salary available, it makes sense for them to be involved in trade speculation.

From the outside, the Phoenix Suns became a logical subject of this speculation after Houston acquired a significant chunk of the Suns' future draft assets in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets this past summer.

There are only so many high-level seasons left in Durant, so if the Suns were to struggle to compete, one or both of the Suns and Durant might start looking at trades (if one were to buy into such speculation). If that were to transpire, recouping multiple of their own draft picks might make sense for Phoenix, while the encouraging play of the young Rockets could make Durant a final piece to put them over the top.

Now, Stein is claiming that the interest from the Rockets' side "has been overstated from the jump." The Rockets seem to be looking at a more conservative approach to this season as they attempt to determine who the most critical pieces to their long-term success will be.

The Rockets currently sit at 12-6 and third in the Western Conference, making this stance even more sensible. They sport the No. 4 point differential in the league with a top-10 offense and an elite defense (No. 2 in the league), driven heavily by major contributions from young players like Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green and the "Terror Twins" off the bench in Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. With all the success and good vibes with their youth, why rush it?

There will inevitably come a point when the Rockets have to make some tough decisions about payroll for the future to make sure the team is sustainable, but that point is not necessarily now. Sengun and Green recently signed manageable extensions that don't kick in until next season, while new deals for Smith Jr. and Eason wouldn't start until 2026-27, with Thompson and Reed Sheppard coming up even further out than that. They've got some time to figure things out.

Whether the reported hesitance to make a big move has truly always been the case or if it was brought on by their hot start, you can bet the Rockets still have their eyes on the trade market internally. It is good business for any team to canvas the league for impactful players that could be available if the right, realistic circumstances were in play. Maybe they're happy where they are now, but if someone like Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo were to decide to look elsewhere, there will be some tough conversations in the front office.

Superstar trades take two (or more) to tango

Even if Houston was prepared to make a splash in the trade market, there is still the complication of getting the other team(s) in the deal to sign off. The Suns have been adamant that Durant is going nowhere, and they expect to sign him to an extension next summer.

Phoenix is all-in on title contention with their roster and got off to a 9-2 start this season before Durant and Bradley Beal both went out with injuries en route to a five-game slide. Durant was playing at an MVP-caliber level, showing he and the Suns may still have something to say when it comes down to determining a Western Conference champion. The only reason for the Suns to be interested in moving on from Durant would be poor play, which has not been the case with him on the court this season.

Even if that were the case, players with the stature of Durant and Antetokounmpo will inevitably have an outsized say in where they are traded as well. Not only must two teams (sometimes three or more!) find common ground on a trade package, but the star being traded usually needs to sign off on the destination.

Making deals of this magnitude are a huge risk for all parties involved no matter how you slice it, so it is understandable that teams would have a multitude of reasons to stand pat. In this case in particular, the Rockets are looking like one of the top teams in the Association as is, so they'd like to ride it out. Once the summer of 2025 comes around ... who knows?