The Houston Rockets worked hard this season to secure the second seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for them, they fell short of their goal of going far in the playoffs, losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
The firepower of Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, and Stephen Curry were too much to overcome for the Rockets, and now they’re forced to go back to the drawing board. While the Rockets and their defense are strong, they have hit offensive lulls multiple times this season.
With the offensive struggles showing themselves at different times, the Rockets should be in the market for a reliable scorer this offseason. They have the assets to acquire one in the trade market, especially a veteran scorer, which led many to believe that they would potentially seek out Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. Apparently, that is not the case.
Are The Rockets Not Planning To Pursue Kevin Durant?
The Ringer podcast covered a lot of things recently, but one of the most interesting topics they mentioned would be the idea that the Rockets are interested in pursuing Kevin Durant or at least wouldn’t be making the move. Sam Amick quickly dismissed the idea:
“All the Kevin Durant to Houston talk? Kevin’s age and timeline don’t fit. I feel confident saying that’s not the direction they’re looking. Devin Booker was also on their short list before, but after a bad year, he’s likely fallen off,” he said.
The interesting part about this is that Durant fits what the Rockets need in terms of scoring prowess and offensive ability. Durant, one of the most dynamic scorers of all time, averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 52.7% shooting from the field. If the Rockets add that while keeping Amen Thompson and one of Alperen Șengün or Jalen Green, they could push their timeline up and make them an instant contender next year.
Will Durant Be Traded From Phoenix?
There’s no way to know if the Suns are willing to trade Durant just yet, but the marriage between the two did not seem to be going well during the season. Durant was close to being traded from the Suns at the deadline before Durant vetoed a trade to the Warriors.
Now, with the Suns offseason here, could they look to move Durant? If the Rockets are not in the Durant sweepstakes, could teams like the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, or the Oklahoma City Thunder have interest?
This offseason will see the Durant sweepstakes heat up, as teams that fell short of their goals this season will absolutely consider bringing one of the greatest players into the fold. Where will Durant start next season? Time will tell.
