Rockets-Kevin Durant Noise Growing Louder Amid Impending Trade Reports

The Phoenix Suns are in perhaps the toughest situation in their franchise's recent history, as star forward and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant is expected to be traded from the team this offseason amid their struggles all year long. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Suns will likely move Durant, and "he knows that."

"They're gonna trade [KD], and he knows that." 😳 @WindhorstESPN and @KendrickPerkins on what will happen with Kevin Durant and the Suns this offseason. pic.twitter.com/B985Mq41Hv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 26, 2025

Given the buzz surrounding Durant's eventual departure this summer, teams are being thrown into the mix for potential suitors, one of which is the Houston Rockets. The Rockets, who are 37-22, currently hold the fifth seed in a crowded Western Conference and have proven to be an up-and-coming playoff team.

Led by a young core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and others, Houston certainly has a bright future through the lens of developing its players. However, the Rockets have the opportunity to accelerate their timeline and make the win-now move for an all-time scorer in Durant.

With reports saying Durant is expected to be moved, the Rockets are one of, if not the prime destination for the 36-year-old. Despite his age, the 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 26.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 53.1% shooting from the field and 40.1% from three. He could be the difference maker in getting Houston to championship-level status.

Phoenix is on a serious decline at 28-32, and the noise is only getting louder with the Durant reports plus news of Devin Booker being implored to "tone it down vocally" by head coach Mike Budenholzer, according to Senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes. It looks like a full-blown rebuild could be imminent if the Suns don't fix their situation soon.

The Rockets are the prime team to get Durant for multiple reasons, the first being their young talent. Even if Houston were to move a few pieces from its young core, the team would still have developing players to spare, so it wouldn't be a complete overhaul for the star.

The second reason is the Rockets' stash of draft picks. Houston has plenty of picks over the next few seasons, but also owns Phoenix's 2025 and 2027 first-round picks. The Rockets have serious leverage to get Durant, as they can hang those picks over the Suns' heads.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.