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Looking at the Houston Rockets' trade for star Kevin Durant, the package that the team gave to the Phoenix Suns won out over the other finalist in the Miami Heat. As the basketball world will grade who won the Durant trade between the Rockets and Suns, the latest report from Marc Stein details who was largely in control and what was omitted.
In Stein's latest column for “The Stein Line,” he would note how Houston's first-round picks from 2027 and 2029, once owned by Phoenix, were “never in play” regarding Durant. Instead, the team traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the upcoming draft, and four second-round picks with the team looking to make a huge addition after a first-round exit in the playoffs.
“Losing in the first round of the playoffs when they were the West's No. 2 seed — and with Jalen Green struggling so mightily apart from his Game 2 eruption for 38 points against Golden State — changed the calculus for the Rockets,” Stein wrote.
“But only to a degree.”
“League sources say that the Rockets remained adamant,” Stein continued. “After rebuffing Phoenix's in-season attempts to ship Durant to them and sticking to their desire to leave the core of their team untouched until after the playoffs — that they would not trade for KD if they had to surrender any of their most prized youngsters.”
Other parts the Rockets didn't want to deal for Kevin Durant
With the rumors swirling around Durant and the Rockets for a sizable amount of time, the deal is finally agreed upon, which would mark another team for the 36-year-old, looking to get back to his winning ways. Stein would cite how Houston made the trade “largely on their terms,” as other components that they were “completely unwilling” to deal were Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard.
“The Rockets were able, in the end, to do a deal largely on their terms,” Stein wrote. “Surrendering Green and Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick in a draft Wednesday night that, as The Stein Line has been reporting all week, is regarded by numerous scouts and draft evaluators to only feature a clear-cut top eight.”
“The Rockets did prove completely unwilling in these talks, by contrast, to part with recent first-round picks such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard,” Stein continued.
At any rate, the Rockets look to further improve after finishing with a 50-32 record, which put them second in the Western Conference.
