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With the Houston Rockets surrounded by rumors of trading for a star, one of the players that has been connected to the team is Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Though there's been speculation of the Rockets preferring other stars to Durant, The Athletic reports Durant's feelings about possibly playing for the team come next season.
After finishing with the second seed in the Western Conference, many believe that Houston is one big piece away from contending for a championship, with Durant possibly being a name. Kelly Iko and Sam Amick would write that while the team has “significant reservations” about the potential deal, Durant “is known to be very interested.”
“While Durant is widely seen as the most attainable of that group, and he is known to be very interested in playing in Houston,” The Athletic wrote. “Team sources said the Rockets still have significant reservations about that possible partnership, in large part, because Durant’s age (36) would be so out of sync with their younger timeline. It’s worth noting that previous talks between the teams about Durant, team sources said, were initiated by the Suns.”
The age of Durant is an intriguing factor since the star is still one of the elite players in the game, especially in regards to scoring after averaging 26.6 points on 52.7 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Rockets are connected to Kevin Durant and other stars
While Durant's name has been attached to the Rockets, there are other stars such as Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson, who The Athletic mentioned as being possible acquisitions. However, it's still a crossroads that the franchise is dealing with in debating whether they go for a star while trading valuable assets or being “patient.”
“The prospect of landing players of that ilk presents a fork-in-the-road moment for the Rockets, who are in prime position to upgrade their roster with a bona fide star because of the draft picks and young talent they’ve collected in recent years,” The Athletic wrote. “But will they take the big swing, one that could cost them a young star (or more), or take the patient approach and resist the temptation to accelerate their contending timeline?”
Though Durant would help the team in the immediate timeline, how much will it cost Houston, though it seems that it's the most “attainable” star, especially in comparison to Antetokounmpo. However, that's the one that is “the most intriguing” for the team/
“Of all the possibilities this summer might bring, the idea of the ‘Greek Freak' donning a Rockets jersey is seen as the most intriguing within the organization,” The Athletic wrote. “The cost most certainly would be exorbitant, with a collection of draft picks, veterans to make the money work, and a young talent or two likely to be part of the package.”
It'll be interesting to see which direction the Rockets go in, as the team has a bevy of options in front of them.
