On Sunday, it was reported that Kevin Durant had agreed on a two-year, $90 million extension with the Houston Rockets, the team that traded for his this offseason. Shams Charania of ESPN reported on X, formerly Twitter, that Durant was eligible for a $120 million extension but that he chose to take less money “so that the sides can partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.”
While some fans commended Durant on the move, others weren't exactly convinced that someone who will be making over 5,000 times as much as the average household for playing a game should be applauded for their bravery, including one fan of the New York Knicks, who took to social media with their thoughts.
“KD locked in $45 million in guaranteed money for his age-39 season… not sure I’d characterize that as an unselfish sacrifice,” wrote the fan.
Durant, as he's been known to do, then clapped back.
“What would u characterize it as? Since we characterizing s*** this morning,” wrote Durant.
“I’d say it’s pretty smart business for both parties… rockets lock-in an aging but still incredibly productive player. A bit risky but prob worth it considering they feel they can legitimately compete for a title over the next 3 seasons. You lock-in another huge guaranteed payday (advisable at age 37),” they replied.
A big move for the Rockets
While the word “sacrifice” here is obviously applied through a sports fantasy lens in this scenario and not in the way it would be for, say, a firefighter, Durant still did leave quite a bit of money on the table in order to try to help this Rockets team compete.
Whether they can do so is a different question altogether, as the team looked to be more than just one piece away from legitimate contention in their playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors last year, and have since lost Fred VanVleet for the year.
In any case, the Rockets will kick off their 2025-26 season on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday evening.
