As the Phoenix Suns reportedly plan to find Kevin Durant a new home, the Houston Rockets are again being linked to the superstar forward.
Houston Rockets Expected To Retarget Kevin Durant
After finishing 11th in the Western Conference (36-46) and failing to secure a play-in tournament berth, Phoenix is projected to make big changes this offseason. The team already fired coach Mike Budenholzer on Monday, one year into his five-year, $50 million contract.
Budenholzer’s dismissal came after the Suns experienced a 13-win decline from last year’s sixth-place finish (49-33). Their struggles came despite having a supposed Big 3 in Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The team went just 19-18 with the trio active.
Meanwhile, it stumbled to the league’s fourth-worst defensive rating (117.7) for the season, with rumors about chemistry issues persisting.
On Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that “Phoenix is expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant and will have discussions on the future of Beal.” During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” the league insider named Houston as a potential Durant suitor, citing its past interest in the 15-time All-Star.
“This is a Houston team we need to keep an eye on in this playoff run because of when you think about monitoring who does well early in the playoffs and who might struggle,” Charania said. “There is going to be a level of mutual interest. There has been already with them and Kevin Durant with the Suns.”
How Successful Can Houston Be?
Charania noted that the upstart Rockets deciding to retarget Durant will likely hinge on their level of postseason success.
“Listen, if they win a couple of rounds, they might be good where they’re at,” Charania said. “If you lose early, you don’t win enough to where you want to, could you look at a guy like Kevin Durant once again this offseason?”
Despite Houston entering the playoffs as the West’s No. 2 seed (52-30), many fans and pundits are picking against it due to its inexperience. Several of the Rockets’ core players will be making their postseason debuts, including youngsters Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson.
Conversely, they are slated to match up against a seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors squad (48-34) with significant playoff mileage. Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry and star forward Draymond Green have each been a part of four NBA championship teams. Meanwhile, their new co-star, Jimmy Butler III, has made two NBA Finals appearances.
Thus, if Houston flames out in Round 1 or suffers a Round 2 letdown, it could turn to Durant for veteran leadership. The 36-year-old has only one year remaining on his four-year, $194.2 million contract, which may allow the Rockets to acquire him at a relative discount.
