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When James Harden decided he wanted to continue his career elsewhere during the 2020-21 season, the Houston Rockets were left without an identity. Roughly four seasons later, the Rockets recently claimed the 2-seed in the Western Conference and built a young core with a lot of potential. Now, Kevin Durant is joining the mix to try to bring a championship to the Rockets.
A lot has happened in Houston through the years.
Alperen Sengun became one of the faces of the Rockets' rebuild, and Ime Udoka has completely changed the lackluster culture that haunted this organization when Harden requested his trade.
Last season, Houston won 52 games, their most in a single season since Harden and Mike D'Antoni led the team to 53 wins and an appearance in the Western Conference Semifinals. Coincidentally enough, both seasons ended with the Rockets losing in the playoffs to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Rapid growth from Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and other young pieces to the puzzle led general manager Rafael Stone and his staff to face tough decisions this summer.
For years, the Rockets preached internal growth and sustainability. No matter what questions he faced, Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta always shot down the speculation that this franchise would leverage assets they've stockpiled through the years during their rebuild to add a superstar in trade talks.
Well, the Rockets' leadership went back on their word, as they pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason by acquiring 15-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. This deal came at the cost of Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th-overall pick in this year's draft (Khaman Maluach), and five second-round picks.
The Rockets got good value in this trade for Durant.
He is obviously the player this team believes is the final piece to being on the same level as the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference, and they didn't sacrifice much of their young core. Any team with Durant always has a chance to contend at the top.
On the flip side, the Rockets went away from what was working and developing their young core further, and this franchise has now put itself on the clock to compete for a championship.
At the end of the day, this decision was made to increase the Rockets' chances of winning a championship right now. However, does adding Durant as the face of the franchise ensure that Houston will win a title over the next few years?
Why Rockets' title chances increased after Kevin Durant trade
Durant is a legendary talent.
Even after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, Durant has not skipped a beat and is still among the best pure scorers in the NBA. In terms of his percentages, he may be a more efficient player post-Achilles than he was before the injury.
Not many athletes in general are able to return after such a career-altering surgery, yet Durant is just as lethal as he was earlier in his career.
That is why the Rockets decided to take a chance on him, especially since this team's biggest weakness that Golden State exposed in the playoffs was the fact that they didn't have a clear No. 1 scoring option to turn to when times were tough.
When you look at the top teams in the West, each of them has “that guy” who always shows up and has the ball in big moments.
The Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For the Denver Nuggets, the guy is Nikola Jokic. Curry has the ball when the Warriors need to score, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have Anthony Edwards. The Los Angeles Lakers can take things one step further since they have both Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
The point is that Houston looked lost at times in the playoffs since Sengun is only an efficient scorer in the paint, and Green was hesitant at times to try and take over the game offensively.
While Amen Thompson emerged throughout the season and in the postseason, he is still developing his all-around offensive game. If anyone will benefit immediately from playing alongside Durant, it will be Thompson.
By adding Durant to their roster, the Rockets will be able to breathe a major sigh of relief at times on offense since they know he will get his points. Now, it's all about Udoka figuring out the rotations around Durant and setting his other dynamic scorers, like Thompson and Smith, up for success.
As far as talent on the court, the Rockets are in a better spot than they were during the 2024-25 season to compete for a title with Durant headlining their roster.
Why Rockets' title chances decreased after Kevin Durant trade
While Durant's arrival sets the Rockets' offense up for more immediate success, could his presence stunt the growth of other youthful players on this roster outside of Sengun?
Aside from losing a dynamic scorer in Green, who is still just 23 years old, Durant's presence could now limit Smith's overall role.
Perhaps gaining knowledge from Durant and playing alongside him will unlock a new, better path for Smith, and this will ultimately be the best decision the Rockets ever made. After all, playing Smith, Durant, and Sengun on the court together gives the Rockets an extremely lengthy front line.
Then again, will Smith be any better than he was last season if he's constantly playing off the ball and standing in the corner as a catch-and-shoot option offensively? Until we actually see this team play 20-25 games, it's hard to say what Smith's role will be alongside Durant.
Another yellow flag worth discussing is the Rockets' defense.
Last season, Houston ranked fourth in defensive rating and was elite at defending on the perimeter with Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Amen Thompson. Well, Brooks is no longer in the equation for Udoka, and the Rockets won't ask Durant to give it his all defensively out of precaution.
Is Tari Eason ready to step up and fill Brooks' minutes? Can Dorian Finney-Smith be leaned on so heavily throughout the regular season and be ready for playoff basketball?
Two other concerns directly involve Durant. What will his availability look like throughout the regular season, and is Durant's long-term future in Houston?
Whether or not the Rockets monitor Durant's minutes closely and constantly play him in back-to-backs is something to monitor. After all, he is turning 37 years old soon and has dealt with some soft tissue injuries with the Suns.
Recently, Tim MacMahon of ESPN threw cold water on the idea of Durant getting a contract extension before the 2025-26 season. The Rockets wouldn't have made this trade for the legend if he wasn't going to stay, but just how long will Durant ultimately sign for?
Maybe the Rockets fall short of their goals during the 2025-26 season, and Durant only signs a two-year contract. This basically puts the organization on the clock to win in a two-year span before he either leaves or eventually retires.
The Rockets had a really good thing going for themselves with Sengun and Green as the focal points of a young, high-potential core. By sacrificing Green, this organization has taken a big risk and is putting all of their eggs in one basket with Durant.
While this could ultimately pay off and the Rockets could win the Western Conference with one of the best scorers this league has ever seen, there are a lot of outstanding intangibles that loom large.
BUY OR SELL HEADLINE: Sell — Kevin Durant's contract situation and the Rockets still developing their young core loom large.
