The Houston Rockets swung for the fences this offseason when they acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and loads of draft capital.
However, the two sides have still yet to come in agreement on contract extension.
ESPN’s Tim McMahon noted that the Rockets aren’t acting quickly to grant the 36-year-old an extension, showing plenty of reluctance to do so.
“The Rockets aren’t going to go all-in — by all appearances and by what I’ve heard — they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” McMahon said on The Hoop Collective. “Now, that doesn't mean it won’t happen. But there have been rumblings of, ‘Hey, KD is not going to push for the full max.’ I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max.”
Durant is eligible to earn a lucrative extension following trade to Houston
The 15-time All-Star, and former MVP will make $54.7 million next season in what is the final year of his current deal. He is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth roughly $119 million.
Durant is still a top-tier player in the NBA even at his advanced age, he averaged 26.6 points per game last season, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point range.
The Rockets will look to secure Durant for the long-term after giving up valuable assets to acquire him. The team enters next season as a potential title contender in the Western Conference, and will look to maximize their new-found championship window.