The Houston Rockets and Kevin Durant agreed on a two-year, $90 million contract extension right before the regular season is set to start. When the Rockets traded for Durant, there was a good chance that he would sign an extension with the team, but it didn't seem like there was any pressure to get something done immediately.
Durant now has stability for two extra years, while the Rockets lock in one of the best scorers the game has ever seen, in hopes of him helping to get them over the hump and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Here are a few grades for Durant and the Rockets after the extension.
Durant gains stability before the start of the season
Durant was in the last year of his contract going into this season, and there's no doubt that he has been a big career earner over his career. Though the $90 million extension is less than what he could've taken, he always knew that would be the case after agreeing to be traded to the Rockets, as they want to prioritize having flexibility for the future since they're still a young team.
Even with the extension, Durant became the league's biggest career earner, surpassing LeBron James. Both Durant and James have earned a lot of money over their careers, and with James opting into the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and not signing an extension, Durant came in and passed him up.
Durant now has stability for the next two years, and he's with a team that will only get better over time with young talent such as Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and others.
Grade for Durant signing extension: A-
Rockets still have flexibility after Durant extension
The Rockets had a big year last season, and that made them an intriguing option for Durant to join the team. With anything, if you want to take risks and get better, you have to pay the price, and signing Durant to an extension was bound to happen. Luckily for them, they didn't have to give Durant his max of $120 million, which means that they still have some money to work with for the future.
If the Rockets wanted to improve their team, they could possibly trade for another star, but it doesn't look like they'll be doing that. They have a young core to be excited about, but if things don't pan out the way they expect, they still have some ways to get better.
Some will say that this contract could set the tone for older players in the league, especially with Durant being 37 years old and on the latter side of his career. At the same time, Durant has not shown any signs of slowing down, and he should still be a major contributor to the Rockets for the coming years.
Grade for Rockets extending Durant: B
