Despite Rockets' Identical Record, Kevin Durant Trade is Justified

This shouldn't be a question.

Apr 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets' 2025-26 season is officially in the books. Well, regular season, that is.

Houston finished with an identical 52-30 record as last season's surprising team, although this time it got them the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Last season, Houston finished with the second seed.Houston's record could have been even better, were it not for losses to bottom-feeders like the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers.

But by the same token, finishing with an identical record as last season is quite an accomplishment, on a number of fronts. Which has to be discussed, due to the false narrative that the Rockets didn't improve following the Kevin Durant trade. In fact, some are even suggesting that the trade was a mistake.

But we have to delve into the specifics. Context always matters.

For starters, the Rockets have been ravished by injuries. Before the season even started, Houston’s landscape shifted dramatically, when news surfaced of Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL.

All season, Houston has struggled to fill that table-setting void. They ultimately were unable to replace VanVleet’s skillset, opting for a piece meal approach that included Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard at times (although it took Rockets coach Ime Udoka a while to trust Sheppard and turn the keys over).

And not to mention Steven Adams' injury situation, as he ultimately missed 50 games, due to injury. In fact, Adams hasn't played since January 18th.

Remember how pivotal he was for Houston's offense? The Rockets had the league's top-ranked offense, in large part because of Adams' offensive rebounding prowess, which led to easy putback opportunities, around the rim or from behind the three point arc, for open kick out threes.

Houston was largely forced to pivot and scrap that formula, once Adams was out of the fold. Durant carried this team, in many respects. Sure, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun were good surrounding pieces, much like Reed Sheppard.

But they struggled with consistently throughout different stretches of the season. And Durant’s presence made life easier for them. Especially in the case of Smith, who garnered a litany of open looks, due to Durant being the main draw.

The reality is, without Durant, this Rockets team is likely a lottery team. Or play-in team, at best. All told, the team didn't have three starters, in Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and VanVleet.

And even if you don't make the trade, Green still missed 50 games of his own. And his presence likely stifles Sheppard's minutes, anyways. Although the expectations shifted, following the trade, they also simmered, following VanVleet’s injury. But without Durant, this Rockets team surely doesn't win 52 games.