Well, it finally happened. The 2025 NBA offseason started with a bang as superstar Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Details
Rockets received:
- Kevin Durant
Suns received:
- Jalen Green
- Dillon Brooks
- 2025 10th overall pick
- Five second-round picks
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns are trading two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/EwrbA2ES9O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2025
Takeaways
For the Rockets, this is a slam dunk. They were the second seed this year, and they added a top-10 player. Not only did they acquire Kevin Durant, but it took virtually nothing to trade for him. Jalen Green is very talented, but he is not what the Rockets need. In addition, although Dillon Brooks was solid, replacing him with Kevin Durant is a no-brainer. Lastly, although the 10th pick could be solid, he would not likely be an important part of the rotation in the short term.
I know some people might doubt this move given that Durant has not played on a ton of winning teams the past few years, but do not let this take away from the fact that he is still, at worst, a top-10 player in the league. This year, he averaged 26.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 43 percent from three.
Additionally, before you blame Durant for the Suns’ struggles, they were 33-29 with him and 3-17 without him. Think about what he could do with a competent roster. The only thing holding him back is his injuries, and hopefully, the Rockets’ depth will decrease his chances of getting injured.
A new era for Kevin Durant 🚀
The Rockets will be KD’s fifth team 🍿 (via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/zxiHcYsMMF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 22, 2025
For the Suns, it is hard to be optimistic about this move. As I mentioned, they were abysmal without Durant. Not only is this the case, but I am skeptical that this sets them up well for the future. A new set of scenery might be what he needs, but he is not a good complementary piece to Devin Booker.
I would not be surprised if they flipped Green or Brooks. However, it seemed like the market for Durant was not as strong as it used to be, and the Suns might prefer to get off Durant now so they have all offseason to address which direction they want the franchise to head.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I would probably give the Rockets an “A” and the Suns a “C.” However, only time will tell; we do not yet know what the Suns will do with the No. 10 pick, or what they can get back for Green or Brooks.
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