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With the blockbuster trade that had Kevin Durant heading to the Houston Rockets, it seems as if the star player played a huge part in getting the deal done. While it was known that Durant had the Rockets as one of his preferred destinations, the team made out of it, not forfeiting their entire stock for the star, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst explains the former Phoenix Suns forward's involvement.
In the trade for Durant, Houston dealt Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in Wednesday's first round of the NBA Draft, and four second-round picks. The team got to keep a lot of their young core while adding Durant, as Windhorst said the player “controlled this process,” according to Real GM.
“Now they can get Kevin Durant and get themselves better,” Windhorst said. “And still have these pieces that they can keep or trade. The Rockets had this happen because Kevin Durant controlled this process.”
Besides Durant, head coach Ime Udoka played a huge role as well, saying that a player like Durant can exponentially improve the team, along with the younger talent.
“I believe he wanted to have his young team grow, but something happened the last few weeks,” Windhorst said. “Ime Udoka, who had him in his Brooklyn—Royal Ivey is on his staff—he was his teammate at Texas. He wanted him. He went to ownership and front office and said ‘Can we can get Kevin Durant? Get him.'”
Rockets “couldn't say no to the price” of the Kevin Durant trade
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As Udoka's role with the Rockets trade for Durant has been well-known, it helps knowing that the team is on board with a massive decision like this, thinking they could be a piece away from competing for a championship. However, the price for Durant was seen as “so low they just couldn't say no,” per Windhorst.
“Another thing was they also couldn't say no to the price,” Windhorst said. “The price was just so low, they just couldn't say no. It's meant to say, look what they still have on their roster. So they now have optionality. They can say, ‘let's keep letting Amen Thompson develop. Let's keep letting Jabari Smith. By the way, they love Tari Eason there. He can be the guy that replaces Dillon Brooks as that key defender.”
The Houston coach was recently rewarded with a contract extension, further proving the franchise's confidence in him to lead the team, as Marc Stein reported him being a “strong behind-the-scenes advocate” for Durant.
The Rockets are looking to further improve after finishing second in the West and being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
