Suns ‘riding’ with Kevin Durant amid Houston Rockets trade interest

The Houston Rockets were catapulted into the league’s rumor mill on Tuesday night. Following the trade that sent Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, the Rockets reorganized their draft capital by acquiring future picks from the Phoenix Suns. This puts Houston in a prime position to trade for an established star.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that the Rockets have their eyes on Kevin Durant. If Phoenix decides to part ways with the former league MVP winner, the Rockets would be a prime trade destination.

Durant’s future in Phoenix is ​​uncertain after a disappointing end to the 2023-24 season. But, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, the Suns are “rolling” with Durant and their current All-Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Phoenix’s first full year with its Big 3 was a major failure. The Suns finished with a 49-33 record during the regular season. Their season came to an embarrassing end after a four-game sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

At 35 years old, Durant averaged 27.1 points with shooting splits of .523/.413/.856, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists, demonstrating that he is still one of the best league players. He appeared in 75 games last season, which marks his most since his final year with the Golden State Warriors in 2019.

While the Suns aim to keep Durant and the rest of their All-Star core, the Rockets would remain in an ideal position to land another top star.

With the first round of the NBA draft scheduled for Wednesday night, the Rockets are in a superb position to acquire Paul George or Donovan Mitchell if the opportunity presents itself. According to a source, coach Ime Udoka “loves” Mitchell, while George has become a target for the Rockets.

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