Why trading for Kevin Durant was the right move

A year later, we revisit the move to try to win now

Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on from the court during the final minutes of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kevin Durant's first regular season with the Rockets could not have gone much better on the court.

The 37-year-old star, acquired in a trade from Phoenix for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the 10th pick in the draft, authored one of his best seasons since returning from the Achilles tear that cost him the 2019-20 season.

Durant averaged 26 points on 52% shooting while playing in 78 games. He missed just one game because of injury, ranked second on the team behind Amen Thompson in minutes played and earned the 14th All-NBA selection of his Hall of Fame career.

He propped up a Rockets offense that lacked consistent shooting and spent most of the season without a true point guard after Fred VanVleet's knee injury. The Rockets won 52 games and entered the playoffs as heavy favorites against the shorthanded Lakers. Then, as luck would have it, Durant banged knees with a teammate during practice leading up to the series. He missed Game 1, struggled through Game 2 and didn't play again.

Acquiring Durant was supposed to help the Rockets take another step toward championship contention. While that ultimately didn't happen, he unquestionably made Houston a better team, and the roster is in a much stronger position entering next season.

VanVleet's return from injury, combined with the signing of Marcus Smart, should give the Rockets a true floor general and allow Thompson to return to the defense-first playmaker and explosive finisher he was when he first entered the league. It should also allow Durant to focus more on scoring instead of having to shoulder as much of the playmaking burden.

Building an NBA roster is like putting together a puzzle, and this season the pieces should fit together better than they did a year ago after VanVleet went down. Looking back at what Houston gave up only reinforces that conclusion.

Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) reacts to a call by NBA referee Jacyn Goble against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brooks had a good first season in Phoenix but played in just 56 games. Green appeared in just 32 games and averaged 17.8 points, his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. His three-point percentage fell to a career-low 31%, and he attempted a career-low 2.7 free throws per game. He then shot 38.6% from the field and under 21% from three during Phoenix's first-round loss to Oklahoma City.

It's difficult to envision the Rockets matching their regular-season success without Durant, and it's equally hard to see Green and Brooks solving the offensive issues that resurfaced in the playoffs.

We'll never know who the Rockets would have selected with the 10th pick or how that player might have developed, but when you compare what Phoenix originally gave up for Durant to what it received two years later, Houston's trade looks like a no-brainer, especially given the production the Rockets got from Durant last season.