In one of the most significant moves of the NBA offseason, the Phoenix Suns dealt superstar Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets acquired Durant by trading away former No. 2 pick Jalen Green, the 10th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft — which became Duke center Khaman Maluach — veteran Dillon Brooks, and multiple second-round picks to the Suns in a deal that involved seven teams.
The Suns had high hopes when they originally acquired Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four future first-round picks, and a 2028 first-round pick swap.
Those hopes did not come to fruition. The Suns finished the 2023-24 season with a 49-33 record, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but were eliminated in the first round by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in a clean sweep. Things got worse in 2025 — the Suns finished 36-46 and did not even make the play-in.
How Did the Houston Rockets Pull Off the Deal for Kevin Durant?
The Suns entered the offseason planning to rebuild, meaning they had to trade Durant.
Once Durant found out the Suns were planning to deal him, he talked to the front office about what teams he’d be willing to play for. Since he was entering the final year of his four-year, $194.2 million deal, he knew he had the leverage to get where he wanted to go.
Former Suns superstar Kevin Durant on trade to Houston: “Once the Suns decided they wanted to trade me, they asked me what teams I’d be willing to go to and I gave them a few. That was an expiring contract. I had more leverage, and I was able to use it and get to Houston. In the… pic.twitter.com/qQSWICks7e
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 16, 2025
“Once the Suns decided they wanted to trade me, they asked me what teams I’d be willing to go to, and I gave them a few,” Durant explained on the Netflix show Starting 5.“That was an expiring contract. I had more leverage, and I was able to use it and get to Houston. In the perfect world, we win a couple of championships. I get my jersey retired here.”
The Rockets were one of the league’s big surprises last year, posting a 52-30 record, the second-best mark in the Western Conference. That, however, did not lead to postseason success, as the Rockets were eliminated in the first round by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in seven games.
Although the Rockets were ahead of schedule, they used the opportunity to acquire Durant to speed up their process, making them a contender and one of the teams that may have the talent to legitimately challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West.
The Rockets have unfortunately since lost point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL, but with Durant joining the likes of big man Alperen Şengün and forward Amen Thompson, hopes are still high for Durant and the Rockets entering the season.