Why Kevin Durant's Situation with Rockets is Different This Time

As soon as Kevin Durant made the decision to join the Golden State Warriors on July 4, 2016, the NBA world resented him.

As time has gone on since he departed from arguably the greatest team of all time, joining Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, and then taking his talents to the Phoenix Suns, it seems that resentment has only grown by the year.

That's because after the former MVP turned the sports world against him and won two championships in Golden State, the success disappeared. Durant was the victim of extreme misfortune while the league around him found more superstars, and the blueprint to a successful basketball team in the 2020s shifted. Now, at 36 years old, he's looking for another run at immortality.

The superteam era, punctuated by Durant's era with the Warriors, vanished after the global pandemic in 2020. From 2021 to 2025, rings have not been won on the backs of multiple MVPs and All-NBA talents coming together; rather, the right system, depth, and a perfect balance of offensive and defensive versatility.

When Durant joined the Nets, taking the court for the first time in the 2020-21 season, his team was unbelievably good with Irving and James Harden as his costars. Unfortunately, injuries, egos, and bad luck tore that team apart. As Brooklyn's prominence faded, the era of systematic basketball was reborn.

Feb 2, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets power forward Kevin Durant (7) and point guard Kyrie Irving (11) and shooting guard James Harden (13) and Los Angeles Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) await a replay review during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

But after the then-34-year-old moved on from Brooklyn to the Suns in 2023, it seemed like the idea of winning amongst a superteam followed. The basketball world was shaking in its boots after Phoenix went all in on the trio of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, one of the most expensive rosters in league history.

Like the Nets, the Suns floundered. Durant's most recent season saw Phoenix go a disappointing 36-46. At that point, many thought the narrative with the 36-year-old was set in stone. Durant was a 'team hopper.' A "bus rider," as Charles Barkley put it. The Slim Reaper, as offensively talented as he was, couldn't win without an unbelievable amount of help.

Jan 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) with guard Bradley Beal (3) and Devin Booker (1) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

However, dare I say, Durant's failed playoff runs since leaving Golden State weren't exactly his fault. Sure, he was the catalyst on each team, but in order to win, everything around the star has to click, and it was the exact opposite in Brooklyn and Phoenix.

Last season, the Suns went 3-17 when Durant wasn't on the floor, going 33-29 when he was healthy. Even in a year marred by drama and losing, he still managed to put up 26.6 points per game on 52.7% shooting from the field and 43% from three.

With the Nets, the four-time scoring champion averaged a phenomenal 32.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks in the playoffs, and one of those runs could have ended with a ring had he been a shoe size smaller.

Specifically, in that 2021 playoff stretch, he did it all for his injury-riddled team, putting up 49 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. In Game 7, it was 48 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

This is all to say that while Durant's teams have fallen short in the past, and he has yet to win another championship since 2018, this stint with the Houston Rockets might be his best shot at his third ring, and his first since his era with the Warriors.

The Rockets have prided themselves on being a systematic, no-nonsense, defensive-oriented team since the arrival of head coach Ime Udoka. Last season, Houston leaped from up-and-comer to a real threat in a crowded Western Conference, going 52-30 and ranking fifth in defensive rating.

A brutal first-round upset at the hands of the Warriors may have signified that the Rockets have a long way to go before championship contention, but Houston pushed Golden State to seven games without a go-to scorer. Jalen Green, the team's leader in points last season, averaged just 13.3 points per game in that series, and the Rockets still nearly beat a team that finished the regular season 23-7.

Now, Houston has an answer to its offensive woes. The front office reloaded its depth with signings such as Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, but now Durant is the clear-cut best player on a team once again. This time, he has a true system in place, built to win, with a combination of veteran leadership and young stars that fit right alongside him.

Jan 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and forward Amen Thompson (1) sit on the sidelines on a play stoppage against the Detroit Pistons during the in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Don't compare this Houston squad to the Golden State dynasty, but just think about the situation Durant is coming into versus what he joined in 2016. Both had a system in place (the Rockets have defense, while the Warriors had shooting), and young stars rapidly improving. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are two of the league's most underrated weapons after their 2025 campaigns.

Don't overlook Durant and the Rockets. This team will most likely be his last, but it's his best shot at his third championship. If he gets the job done alongside Sengun, Thompson, Free VanVleet, and so many valuable supplementary pieces, the narrative around the player who made the 'weakest move in NBA history' will change. The resentment will subside, perhaps for good.