NBA offseason rumors: How Kevin Durant can land on Rockets in intriguing trade

Kevin Durant will likely be the biggest player available this offseason after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that he and the Phoenix Suns have agreed to explore trade options this summer. Durant's time in Phoenix has been underwhelming, to say the least, as the team with three legitimate All-Stars struggles to hold on to the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings.

But regardless of KD's disappointing stint with the Suns, there will be many teams in line to make offers to the Phoenix Suns for a superstar like Durant. But they will need to check some boxes first.

Kevin Durant has made it clear that he wants to be traded to a title contender that won't have to gut its roster just to bring him in. The Suns, on the other hand, will have a hefty asking price for their most valuable asset, so they can remain competitive following the trade with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the roster.

One of the teams that has emerged as a likely destination for Kevin Durant is the Houston Rockets. According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Durant would prefer to end up with the up-and-coming Rockets. The Houston side has been dominant in the West this year, but with KD's experience, they can be a legitimate title contender in the postseason.

"...Durant wants to wind up in Houston. I think if the Rockets wanted Durant before the trade deadline, it would have happened," Mannix said about the potential trade. "Durant has a lot of respect for Ime Udoka and in Houston, he could be a missing piece to a title contender. I’d keep an eye on that after this season."

The Rockets have been the surprise team of this season, and are one of the lead contenders for the second seed in the West behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the team has enjoyed success under defensive-minded head coach Ime Udoka, the team has faltered offensively at scoring points. So they are expected to pursue an offensive upgrade this offseason.

The Rockets are ahead of schedule in their rebuild and have more young players than they have minutes for, making them a prime candidate to leverage young talent and draft picks for a star. Their roster is solid enough to trade enough assets for Kevin Durant without losing out on their depth.

We put together one potential trade scenario sending Kevin Durant to the Rockets that could be the blockbuster trade of the 2025 offseason.

Phoenix receives: G Dillon Brooks, G Reed Sheppard, G Aaron Holiday, F Jabari Smith Jr., 2 2027 first-round picks

Houston receives: F Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant will make almost $55 million next season, according to Spotrac, making it difficult to trade for him without giving up a solid chunk of a roster. The Rockets, as mentioned before, have enough capital to entice Phoenix. But it is also possible that such a package turns out to be insufficient and the Suns force the Rockets to bring in a third team to the deal.

However, this trade gives both teams what they are looking for. Houston gets Durant to help lead their offense alongside first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun and young flamethrower, Jalen Green.

Phoenix, who might also want Rockets forward Cam Whitmore in this deal, gets young talent and a couple of proven veteran role players to add to their starting lineup.

What would Kevin Durant bring to the Rockets?

If Kevin Durant does end up in Houston, they instantly become one of the most dangerous teams in the entire league. Their team this year has been built for the defensive side of the floor behind tenacious defenders like Brooks and Amen Thompson, but Sengun and Green have struggled to keep up with opposing offenses.

Durant might be 37, but he is still one of the best scorers the league has to offer. He is averaging 26.6 points per game in the 58 games he has played this season. He also continues to be efficient from everywhere on the floor, just a few percentage points shy from another 50-40-90 season. He would give Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet another veteran to turn to in close games.

The Suns will require quite a package in order to part with Durant, but the rumors that he wants to go to Houston make things easier for the Rockets as the Suns will look to part with their disgruntled superstar on a positive note. Bringing in a player as old as Durant presents a risk to the Rockets' future, but if he can give them two or more seasons of premier scoring, Houston could make a few deep playoff runs in the next few years.