In a move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA, the Phoenix Suns look to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, marking the end of an ambitious but ultimately unfulfilled chapter in the Valley.
The 15-time All-Star will head to Houston in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft, and five second-rounders. The deal will be made official when the new league year begins on July 6.
Durant, who was on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York when the news broke, kept his reaction brief: “We gonna see.” Fans in the arena shared his stunned silence.
His arrival in Houston instantly shifts the team’s trajectory. Durant joins All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, defensive phenom Amen Thompson, and veteran floor general Fred VanVleet on a squad that won 52 games under Ime Udoka last season.
It’s also a reunion of sorts, Udoka and Durant share history from Brooklyn and Team USA. That bond, and the Rockets’ championship aspirations, helped make Houston one of Durant’s three preferred destinations, along with Miami and San Antonio.
Durant’s numbers remain elite. At 37, he’s still the most efficient jump shooter in the game, leading the NBA in midrange percentage and isolation points. His presence directly addresses Houston’s biggest weakness: off-the-dribble shooting.
The Rockets ranked 27th in that category last season. Durant alone lifts them to a new tier and Vegas agrees, moving Houston’s title odds from 18-1 to +850, behind only Oklahoma City.
For Phoenix, it’s a hard reset. After finishing 11th in the West with the league’s highest payroll, changes were inevitable. Now they restock with Green, a 23-year-old scoring dynamo, and Brooks, a defensive warrior who fits new owner Mat Ishbia’s grit-first vision.
Durant leaves Phoenix averaging 26.8 points the most in franchise history. But with a new GM and head coach installed, the Suns are building for the future.
