One of the NBA’s most accomplished scorers is on the move yet again.
According to multiple reports, the Phoenix Suns are trading forward Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. In exchange for Durant, the Suns will receive Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in Wednesday’s draft, along with several future picks, as reported by ESPN and The Athletic.
The trade was first reported by ESPN.
Durant, a 15-time All-Star, averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for Phoenix last season. Over his 18-year career, Durant has scored an average of 27.2 points per game, placing him sixth in NBA history.
The Rockets concluded their season with a record of 52-30, securing the second seed in the Western Conference before being eliminated by the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rockets will be the fifth franchise Durant has played for.
After one year in college at Texas, Durant was selected second overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the then-Seattle SuperSonics. In 2012, after the team had moved to Oklahoma City four years earlier, he led the Thunder to an NBA Finals appearance.
In 2016, Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in free agency. He teamed up with Stephen Curry and won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, both of which earned Durant Finals MVP honors.
In the summer of 2019, after tearing his achilles during the Finals, Durant once again entered free agency and chose to play for the Brooklyn Nets. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season, but then led the Nets to two straight playoff appearances in 2021 (a second-round loss) and 2022 (a first-round sweep).
In February 2023, after a tumultuous tenure in Brooklyn, Durant requested a trade and was dealt to the Suns. Though his individual numbers remained steady, Durant’s Phoenix teams also failed to live up to expectations. The Suns lost in the second round of the postseason in ’23, were swept in the first round in 2024, and missed the playoffs altogether this year.
In his three seasons in Phoenix, Durant played for three different head coaches.
Durant will be 37 in September. He will be in the final year of a contract that will pay him $54.7 million next season.
On July 6, Durant will be eligible to sign a contract extension for two years worth up to $122 million.
