The Houston Rockets extended a hot streak to finish as the fifth-seed in the Western Conference, but their playoff run has quickly turned into a nightmare. Drawing an injury-ravaged Los Angeles Lakers, it seemed like things were finally breaking their way.
Going down 3-1 to a team missing its top two scorers has swung the conversation in the other direction almost instantaneously. Now, rumors of Kevin Durant, their big offseason acquisition, finding a new home are starting to make the rounds, and one analyst has a six-team list that could potentially benefit from adding the former MVP.
Kevin Durant Searching for New Hunting Grounds
Last season, the Rockets emerged as the number-two seed in the Western Conference, but flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. Half-court offense was a major struggle for them, paving the way for the organization to land Durant on the roster.
The fit didn’t work as seamlessly as it seemed on paper. The team struggled to hit the ground running, with chemistry issues popping up all season long. Add in the alleged burner controversy, and things quickly took a tailspin.
Still, winning 52 games was no small task, especially with the two-time NBA champion maintaining his health and averaging 26 points on 52% shooting from the field. Unfortunately, multiple injuries to his leg have knocked him out for three of the four games.
Now, as the series appears to be over, some are already looking ahead to the offseason. On First Things First on FS1, the simple choice was breaking up the young core for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo or parting ways with Durant just one season into his tenure.
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Veteran analyst Chris Broussard, though, offered six potential teams that could add the four-time scoring champion if the Antetokounmpo route doesn’t come to fruition. “If I can’t get Giannis, if I’m Houston, I do not want to go through this again.”
Expanding, he added, “Minnesota, Atlanta, Cleveland, assuming they go out early, Detroit, now I don’t know what Detroit has to give for him but Detroit certainly, the Knicks, Milwaukee. Does Milwaukee say, ‘Hey, let’s try to get KD to play with Giannis.'”
Outside of Milwaukee, all five teams made it to the playoffs this season. And except for Atlanta, the other four teams have had disappointing seasons in one way or another. For the Timberwolves, after back-to-back trips to the Conference Finals, they only emerged as a six-seed, with injuries derailing their playoff hopes.
The Cavaliers emerged as a four-seed after winning 64 games last year, and have been locked in a heated battle against the Toronto Raptors, with their series tied at 2 games apiece.
The Pistons, after winning 60 games and the one-seed in the Eastern Conference, are down 3-1 to an Orlando Magic team that seemed to be on the verge of firing their head coach less than two weeks ago.
Similarly, New York has gone from a Conference Finals appearance to the three-seed and has struggled heavily against the Hawks, who have tied the series at 2-2 heading into Game 5.
For the Bucks, the move would be about self-preservation and potentially selling a vision to the Greek Freak of what next season could look like amid trade rumors that continue to swirl. Meanwhile, the Hawks are building something with Jalen Johnson at the helm.
Adding Durant could give them the veteran presence that allows the rest of the team to excel, but they could also be patient with their young core, allowing it to naturally develop over the coming years into a force in the Eastern Conference.
Either way, the Rockets are entering a pivotal offseason where they have to make some hard decisions. It is hard to see them coming back from a 3-1 deficit, especially with LeBron James on the other side of the court.
