As Kevin Durant nears 40, Houston faces a critical crossroads. Capitalizing on his trade value could net a younger cornerstone to anchor the Rockets’ rising core for years.
While I previously discussed the historical patterns and what to expect in a potential Kevin Durant trade, as seen on Roundtable, there is still another angle to consider.
What if KD wasn't the “best player” in a deal? Could the Houston Rockets actually get an upgrade?
Obviously that's a lot to ask for, as we’re talking about Kevin Durant. A legend, an all-time great. There’s not many basketball players better than him on this planet.
He is almost 38 years old though. That’s not nothing.
We saw him be overtaxed at times this season, ultimately allowing teams to shut Houston’s entire offense down with a simple double-team.
That’s just not the position he needs to be in, as he was visually frustrated by the team’s struggles there throughout the year.
That problem can be solved from within, with Fred VanVleet returning from injury. Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard should continue to improve, along with the rest of the young core.
But what’s the plan after next season? Durant will be a free agent and turning 39 years old before the start of the 2027-2028 season. Who knows what choice he’ll make at that point in time? It would shock me, but even retirement has to be on the table.
He just had another historical regular season, as covered on Roundtable. Scoring over 2,000 points and being named to an All-NBA team once again, he looked like he’s as good as ever, so maybe it’s time to sell high?
While Durant’s value might not be at the highest after only playing in one out of Houston’s six disappointing playoff games, I think his regular season and entire NBA career speak for itself.
He got a four year max contract from the Brooklyn Nets less than a month after tearing his Achilles, let's not kid ourselves.
Plus, don’t forget he was scapegoated last year, taking a big chunk of the blame for missing the playoffs before being booted out by the Phoenix Suns.
His value wasn’t exactly at an all time high in either of those two prior trades, yet teams still came flocking. I don’t see why this postseason would change that.
I believe Rafael Stone and Houston’s front office could certainly get another star in return if they did choose to part ways with Durant after one season. Given the Rockets’ future draft assets, as covered on Roundtable, they have real potential to go star hunting this summer.
Replace last year’s big fish with another one who’s under contract for longer and younger. Someone who has more time to grow with this core and the revamped ketchup and mustard theme.
