Report: Rockets’ Revisiting Kevin Durant as Trade Target

The NBA has seen seismic shifts this trade deadline, and it seems there could be more on the horizon.

Luka Doncic was sent to the Lakers in an earth-shattering deal for Mavericks’ center Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox was finally and officially traded to the Spurs to be paired with future face of the league Victor Wembanyama, and now it seems Kevin Durant could be on the move ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

Per various reports, if the Suns are unable to complete a trade for Miami’s Jimmy Butler — something that’s seeming less possible by the hour — they could look to move longtime superstar Kevin Durant. At 36-years-old, his time with the Suns hasn’t fully gone according to plan, and if the team is unable to upgrade, shipping him off for assets of any kind could be in the cards.

It’s already been widely reported that a reunion with Golden State could happen for Durant. But per various reporters at The Athletic, the Houston Rockets have re-ignited their interest in the forward, too.

“League sources say the Houston Rockets, whose longtime interest in the Suns’ Devin Booker is likely to be revisited before the deadline, are known to be contemplating a pursuit of Durant as well.” The Athletic wrote. “While the Rockets (32-17) have not been interested in pursuing older stars like James Harden and Durant in the recent past, the impressive speed of their rebuild may have changed the internal equation on that front.”

Houston was reported to have previous interest in Durant, even going as far as swapping Brooklyn's future picks with Phoenix's to make the deal even easier. Additionally, they're one of a few teams with the assets to do so, owning likely the biggest core of young players in the league, some of which have struggled to even see the court this season.

As it stands now, the Rockets rank No. 3 in the Western Conference, being one of the surprise teams on the season. An upgrade on the wing might make sense, but not at the expense of all the team's depth.

The report also mentioned the Mavericks could be looking to add Durant to new-look Dallas, and there's sure to be even more suitors in tow should he become available.

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