Market: Kevin Durant leaves Phoenix and goes to the Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant will play next season for Houston Rockets. The 36 -year -old wing leaves Phoenix, and it is not a surprise, he was on the market, and is exchanged with the Texans who thus add danger to the perimeter, a latest shot and experience to a young, but already ambitious team. Suns instead reconstruct. They could not demand the moon: Durant would have expired in 2026 and is no longer a boy. In return they get six choices of future draft, therefore young for the next few years, and in the immediate Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Trade that has a logic for everyone, in short. Durant was also courted by Miami, San Antonio and Minnesota. The trade technically will be made official on July 6th.

the exchange

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The detail: Durant goes to Houston for Green, 23 years old, guard, 21 points on average in the last season, great talent, but quite unreliable, Brooks, 29-year-old guard-wing, Canadian defensive specialist, the number 10 choice of the 2025 draft and five second round choices of future draft. Specifically call no. 59 of this imminent draft, two of that of 2026, one of the 2030 (from Boston) and one of 2032. “Honest” price, certainly not of balance, but we are talking about a 15 -time All Star, decisive in Paris last summer with US team for the conquest of the Olympic gold, however 26.6 points of average marked the past season for Phoenix, pulling with 52.7% from the field. Durant does not have the continuity of the best days inside the game and of the game in the game, but is certainly not boiled. We are still talking about an exceptional scorer. Special.

Rockets perspective

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But is the right man for Houston? As a technical interlocking absolutely yes. Then is the leader who was missing? Probably not. Are Rockets better with him than before? Absolutely yes. Are they the title? Probably not. The Texans closed the past season with the second best regular season record in the Western Conference, 52 wins and 30 defeats, but then they were immediately eliminated in the playoffs, in the first round, by the Golden State Warriors. They had a group of great young athletes, defensive piranhas, but they were missing more than something such as offensive cleaning, experience and dangerousness “from outside”. Here, Durant’s shot, which estimates Ime Udoka, the coach of the Rockets fresh from renewal, certainly solves the last problem. And so you get rid of rotation for Reed Sheppard, choice n. 3 of the Draft 2024, on the perimeter, sacrificed by a serial number. Amen Thompson can also play as a guard, while Durant will go to take a place as a starter from Ala, the other will probably return to being Jabari Smith. And there is also Tari Eason to consider. Among other things, the addition of Durant will make Alperen Sengun even more effective, the super Turkish center, which can no longer be systematically doubled under the basket, now. In short, the logic of the Rockets is clear: everything immediately. The Texans go all in and sacrifice, in addition to future choices, a pair of perimeter athletes who consider replaceable considered the depth of their staff. Durant can play the last chances of title, in Phoenix he just didn’t make sense. In short, the right choice or not, this is a reasonable choice, with a clear sense. And Durant will probably renew for two years with the Rockets, post trade.

Suns perspective

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A nice nest egg racimola for a champion who will turn 37 years old in September, who no longer wanted to know to stay in Arizona – back from a unfortunate team season by 36 wins and 46 defeats – and that in 12 months he would have been expiring. Durant’s experience at the Suns, who arrived via Trade from Brooklyn in February 2023, in hindsight it should be assessed as a disaster, results in hand. An incomposed. But it’s already time to look forward. Green is back from a thunderous flop in the playoffs, has an enormous athletic talent and many points in the hands, but also obvious unknowns of basketball and all -round basket. Brooks is a “cagnaccio”, although with his technical limits he is a player who always wants on your side, which never leaves you on foot: fight, defends, is not afraid under pressure. The tenth choice of the Draft on Wednesday 25 June, in three days, is tantalizing. Let’s talk about a deep, quality draft. Of course Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Bradley Beal as a technical interlocking are a disaster, but the Suns will try to exchange Beal in the next few days, at the cost of adding Lauta Mancia. If someone falls there …