Kevin Durant continues to fend off Father Time.
The 17-year veteran enjoyed a turbulent three-year spell with the Suns, struggling to mount postseason success on a poorly constructed roster.
He'll get another bite at the cherry in Houston: the Rockets ended his nightmarish stint in the Valley of the Sun on Sunday, sending Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a cadre of draft picks to Phoenix in exchange for the four-time scoring champion.
Durant will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his career ends. But just how do his skills hold up nowadays? And how will he fit into Houston's attack? Here's what you need to know.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
How good is Kevin Durant?
Make no mistake about it: Durant is a killer.
He might be approaching the twilight of his career. But the 15-time All-Star remains as effective as ever, tallying 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 52.7 percent shooting last season.
Durant might not be as prolific as he was in his pomp. But he's pretty close. His isolation game remains elite — Durant ranked in the 93rd percentile in isolation scoring, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
The Rockets struggled mightily in producing baskets in those situations. Their toils in isolation scoring came to a head in their seven-game defeat to the Warriors in the postseason. Houston averaged just 104 points during the series. Coming into the joust, Green looked likely to be tasked with shouldering much of the scoring load on the perimeter. Save for a Game 2 outburst, he was unable to do so. Durant figures to avoid such toils.
Durant is arguably the league's greatest-ever scorer. A three-level talent capable of fashioning chances for himself and others, he should have plenty of space to operate in. The prospect of him slaloming around Alperen Sengun screens to set up elbow jumpers should breathe life into the Rockets' already vociferous fanbase. Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard are all capable shooters, while Tari Eason and Amen Thompson bring rim pressure and effortless leaping ability — traits that should pop alongside Durant.
MORE KEVIN DURANT TRADE NEWS:
- Full trade details for Kevin Durant blockbuster
- Handing out grades to Rockets, Suns for Kevin Durant trade
- Watch Kevin Durant find out he is being traded at Fanatics Fest
- Projecting Rockets' 2025 lineup after Kevin Durant addition
How old is Kevin Durant?
Durant is 36 years old. He'll turn 37 on Sept. 29.
He quietly ranks as one of the league's oldest players, sitting at No. 16 on the list as of June 23.
Despite his advanced age, Durant's production hasn't wavered. He's one of five players to average at least 25 points across a season after turning 35, joined by LeBron James (five times), Stephen Curry (twice), Alex English and Karl Malone. Given his scoring chops — as well as the gravity other Houston players hold — Durant seems viable to do so again in 2025-26.
How many teams has Kevin Durant played for?
Durant has embraced movement over the course of his near two-decade career. He's played for five franchises since making his big-league debut in 2007. Each of his past four have come on his own terms, too.
Here's a look back at the various stops Durant has made during his career.
SuperSonics/Thunder — 2007-2016
Durant's first stop was arguably his most memorable. He spent 10 seasons in Oklahoma City after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Durant is the organization's third all-time leading scorer and collected a treasure trove of accolades during his time in blue-and-orange, including an MVP and a trip to the NBA Finals.
Warriors — 2016-19
Durant famously spurned Oklahoma City for the Bay Area in the summer of 2016, joining the Warriors a few months after they rallied from 3-1 down to defeat Durant's Thunder.
His decision was an inspired on. With Durant leading the charge, Golden State racked up two championships and three Finals appearances. Durant was pivotal in all three trips — he captured Finals MVP honors in 2017 and 2018. If not for an Achilles tear in the 2019 Finals, he very well could've landed a trifecta.
Nets — 2019-2023
Durant's travels took him to Brooklyn, where he linked up with Kyrie Irving and James Harden for a fleeting moment. Durant didn't actually suit up for the Nets until Dec. 2020.
Brooklyn fell short of its aims during Durant’s three-year tenure. If not for his hulking feet, perhaps that wouldn’t have been the case.
Suns — 2023-25
Harden, Irving and Durant all exited stage left after Brooklyn fell short of its title aspirations. For Durant, that meant joining the Suns via trade.
The Nets landed a decent return in exchange for Durant, fetching Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges and an assortment of first round picks. Phoenix hoped Durant’s acquisition would bolster its championship chances. It did anything but in the end — the Suns toiled for two years before parting ways with Durant on Sunday.
| Team | Years |
| SuperSonics/Thunder | 2007-2016 |
| Warriors | 2016-19 |
| Nets | 2019-2023 |
| Suns | 2023-25 |
| Rockets | 2025-Present |
Kevin Durant career stats
- 27.2 points per game
- 7.0 rebounds per game
- 4.4 assists per game
- 1.0 steals per game
- 1.1 blocks per game
- 3.2 turnovers per game
- 50.2 percent field goal shooting
- 39.0 percent 3-point shooting
- 88.2 percent free throw shooting
MORE KEVIN DURANT TRADE NEWS:
- Kevin Durant gets $124 million contract update
- Rockets' projected starting lineup after blockbuster trade
- Rockets trade for Kevin Durant flips around their NBA title timeline
- How Kevin Durant trade shifts NBA championship odds
- Jalen Green predicted to be traded to title contender without playing a game
- Suns now face massive Devin Booker trade decision