Inside The Rockets

New Report Gives Behind-the-Scenes Look at Kevin Durant-Rockets Trade

ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed that one prominent member of the Houston Rockets heavily pushed for Kevin Durant.
Jed Katz|
Jan 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) looks on during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Jan 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) looks on during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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Houston RocketsPhoenix Suns

Before Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Houston Rockets stole sports headlines yesterday in a blockbuster trade reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. After weeks of speculation, reports, and rumors, the Rockets have finally acquired Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.

Houston was known to have almost all of the leverage in trade talks, and the organization acquired its primary scorer in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks. The 36-year-old averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this past season.

Durant gives the Rockets a new dimension of offense. Many forget that while the Suns were an abysmal 36-46 this season, the former MVP was still one of the more impactful players in the league. Phoenix went 33-29 with Durant on the floor, and a shocking 3-17 without him.

This morning, ESPN's Brian Windhorst went on First Take to give insight into the blockbuster deal. The NBA insider gave a behind-the-scenes look at one Rockets member who had been pushing for the trade to happen.

"Ime Udoka, who had [Kevin Durant] in Brooklyn, Royal Ivey, who's on the staff, he was his teammate at Texas. He [Udoka] wanted him," Windhorst said. "He went to ownership and the front office and said, 'Can we get Kevin Durant?'"

"Another thing was, [the Rockets] couldn't say no to the price. The price was just so low, they couldn't say no. It's meant to say, 'Look what they still have on their roster.'"

Many believe the Suns' return for Durant was extremely low due to the assets Houston kept. Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason were all players potentially and realistically up for grabs, but Phoenix had so little leverage that the Rockets could easily get away with keeping them.

The biggest reason for that is Durant's contract situation. The future Hall-of-Famer has one year left on his deal, and there were teams he would refuse to sign an extension with if he were traded there. This kept teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors from getting further into negotiations.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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