When the Houston Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA playoffs, many fans knew that the Rockets were missing a primary scorer in the offense. With this being the case, they decided to trade for Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns.
With Durant being 36 years old, this team is win-now mode despite the young core that they have. He has not won an NBA title since winning two straight with the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Houston has not won the NBA title since the 1994-95 season. Are they on track to end the drought this season?
NBA Insider Believes that the Houston Rockets are Instant Title Contenders with Kevin Durant
One of the main reasons why Houston decided to trade for him was not only because he can score, but because Durant is also a top 10 player in the NBA still. In the latest ESPN.com top 100 players rankings, he was ranked as the ninth best player in the NBA.
Michael C. Wright believes that this team is instant title contenders with his presence. He said,
"Yes, but only if Houston's supporting cast does its part in helping Durant find his fit within the group. Having worked with Durant during his tenure in Brooklyn, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka knows the 15-time All-Star isn't the type of player who wants teammates to defer to him unnecessarily. Durant wants to be integrated into the group naturally, which in turn diversifies Houston's options for attacking opponents.
So, the best way to maximize Durant's potential impact is continued growth from players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun, who spent a good chunk of the summer in Istanbul, Turkey, working with Rockets developmental staffers on whittling down his post moves to focus on what's most effective.
Durant has already told teammates to be themselves, and he'll find a way to fit in that best helps the team. Durant's vast experience in a variety of systems over the years ensures he'll find his way; it's just a matter of how quickly."
Durant is no doubt going to provide a positive influence on the young core. During the 2024-25 season with Phoenix, he averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.2 BPG, and 0.8 SPG. He also shot 52.7% from the field, in 62 games played. Playing 62 games in the regular season for the Rockets this season would be an ideal scenario for this team.
They mainly traded for him in order to make a run at an NBA title. Houston is going to need him healthy for the playoffs more than anything. This team will have no problem being hungry to win a bunch of games again during the regular season. There was a reason why they were the number two seed in the west a season ago. They traded for him knowing this young core is ready to win a title. If Durant does win a title with this team, then others could stop saying he ring chased with Steph Curry.
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