The Houston Rockets are among one of the more intriguing teams in the NBA after finishing the season with a record of 55-27 and nabbing the second seed in the Western Conference. Although their postseason run ended in the first round after being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors, the Rockets have one of the brightest futures of any team throughout the league. Now, the team may be preparing to make a splash in the offseason by trading for All-Star Kevin Durant.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported that the Rockets are "aggressive" in pursuing a trade for Durant and "regaining full control of their draft capital starting with the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft."
"Since the conclusion of the season, Houston has fielded several calls from Phoenix, who have since gradually lowered their asking price for Durant, those sources said. There is a price where the Rockets would be interested, but with a fear of breaking up their roster for a 36-year-old coming off injury, doubt remains over a deal materializing," Iko wrote.
Rockets can benefit from the Suns' desperation to deal Kevin Durant
The Suns fell short of their goal of making the postseason last season and may be looking to hit the reset button, beginning with a trade of Durant. If any team has the assets pull that trade off, it's Houston.
The Rockets have several young talents, including Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, along with draft capital assets they could trade for.
Durant would raise the Rockets' ceiling in the short term. He is still one of the best players in the league. Last season, he averaged 26.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. However, he is on the opposite side of 30 and is coming off a left ankle sprain injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games of the 2024-25 season. That could cause concerns about what Durant the Rockets would be getting.
Breaking up their promising core could be controversial amongst Rocket fans. However, it may yield great results for a Rockets team searching for another championship.