Is Rockets' Kevin Durant No Longer a Top-10 Player?

We need an explanation.

Nov 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Recently, the NBA has undergone a changing of the guard. The mainstay superstars of old have been replaced. Better yet supplanted.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James doesn't get mentioned as a top-five player anymore. Nor does he get discussed as a top-ten player.

Luka Doncic has surpassed him in the pecking order, even on his own team, which is why they traded for him. And they were offered a no-brainer of a trade offer.

Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are holdover superstars. They're not aged out like James but they're also not 21-years-old like San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. 

Houston Rockets superstar forward Kevin Durant is definitely an aging superstar. He's 37-years-old and is in his 19th season.

His Hall of Fame career is winding down.

He's already viewed as one of the game's all-time greats. But is he still one of the game's best players currently? The question is raised because of The Ringer's top 100 list of late.

Durant ranked 11th on the list.

Is he not a top 10 player anymore?

Their synopsis is below:

"The Rockets took a chance on an aging superstar, and the early returns suggest that it was worth it. Remember when we were worried about the Fred VanVleet injury? Well, Houston has the best offense in the league now, in large part because it has KD once again flirting with 50/40/90 shooting while averaging in the mid-20s in points per game. Not bad for a guy in year 19. 

In the time of endless 3s, Durant’s midrange game is a breath of fresh air. He uses the whole chessboard, and his ability to rise up off the bounce and drain 18-footers is an especially beautiful trait in a league that seems to have abandoned the midrange."

This season, Durant has had a bit of a regression. By his own standards. 

He's still averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 48.5 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from outside, 88 percent from the foul line and 60.8 percent true shooting. 

Those numbers are nothing to scoff at. In fact, Durant is likely headed for yet another All-NBA selection and surefire All-Star bid.

By definition, that would make him one of the league's top players still. Regarding the placement and order, that's up for debate.