On Sunday, former Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant officially joined the Houston Rockets via a blockbuster seven-team trade.
Durant, known for signing with the Dubs in 2016 and winning two championships in three seasons, received a massive $119 million contract update after the deal.
“Despite just being traded, Durant is immediately eligible for an extension that can be up to two years and $119 million,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote Monday. “That number increases by nearly $2 million if he waits until early January to extend his deal.”
“What’s a realistic number here, though? An extension pays Durant for his age-38 and age-39 seasons, after he already showed some slippage in Phoenix (Suns) from his superstar peak. He’s also only played more than 62 games once in the last six seasons.”
“As great as he is, it’s unrealistic to project him to still be a max player in those two seasons. BORD$ projects him as a $43 million player for the coming season, and this extension covers the two seasons after, when age presumably won’t be doing Durant any favors.”
A Durant summer trade was inevitable. The Suns desperately wanted to make their super team, composed of Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, work in the competitive Western Conference.
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Unfortunately, a disastrous 2024-25 campaign that ended with the franchise boasting a 36-46 record and missing the Play-In tournament forced Phoenix to make two challenging offseason decisions.
No. 1: Should NBA champion head coach Mike Budenholzer remain employed? And No. 2: Is it more worthwhile to cut ties with Durant or Booker?
In the end, the Suns fired Budenholzer and traded Durant to a Rockets squad on an upward trajectory.
Although Durant’s contract situation is tricky heading into a new environment, he has plenty of time to consider his options carefully.
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