The Houston Rockets’ offer for Kevin Durant has not satisfied the Phoenix Suns, who have asked for more, Clutchpoints’ Brett Seigel reported on Friday, June 20.
According to Seigel, the former No. 2 pick Jalen Green and this year’s 10th pick “present a clear opportunity for the Rockets to swing a deal.” But so far, the Suns have been asking for more.
“Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard are among the young talents in Houston that Phoenix has expressed interest in. The Rockets have not been willing to part with any of the three to this point,” Seigel wrote.
Sheppard, last year’s No. 3 pick, has been buried under the Rockets’ deep bench. But the Rockets are still high on him and project him to eventually start for them in the foreseeable future.
Eason has become a defensive lynchpin for the Rockets, teaming up with Amen Thompson to anchor their vaunted defense.
Getty Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets talks with Jalen Green against the Golden State Warriors.
Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported earlier that the Suns have done their due diligence on Green, gauging his value around the league in case they acquire him in a Durant deal.
But not much progress has been made with this, according to Seigel.
“Should the Rockets change their stance and offer more draft picks and/or young talents, like Smith or Eason, to the Suns, there is a clear path to a deal being completed before the draft, sources said,” Seigel wrote.
The Suns are hopeful to strike a deal for Durant before the first day of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday, June 25, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Suns Eye Jabari Smith to Anchor Thin Frontcourt
Getty Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns is pressured by Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic first reported about the Suns’ interest in Smith, the former No. 3 pick, who has yet to pop out in the same way the Rockets’ other first-round picks — Green, Alperen Şengün and Thompson — have done in their first few years in the league.
Over his first three seasons with the Rockets, Smith averaged a decent 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds but just shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.0% from the 3-point line.
The 6-foot-10 Smith was projected to go No. 1 in the draft until the Orlando Magic sprung a surprise and took Paolo Banchero. Maybe a move to Phoenix where he can play a larger role will unlock his untapped potential.
Rockets Wary of Kevin Durant’s Age and Fit
The Rockets are one of the three preferred destinations of the 15-time All-Star, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
However, the feelings aren’t strongly mutual.
Iko added that the Rockets have “largely been uninterested in breaking up their depth, even for a future Hall of Famer.”
On top of that, the Rockets are wary of Durant’s fit to their young core’s timeline. The Suns star is turning 37 this September with 41,236 minutes logged over 1,123 regular season games in his NBA career.
Durant has missed an average of 26.5 games per season since he returned from his Achilles injury in 2019.
But Durant can also solve all of the Rockets’ problems — halfcourt scoring, spacing and go-to guy at crunchtime — which was greatly exposed in their first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet tried his hardest to fill that role for the Rockets in Games 5 and 6. But he failed in Game 7. Durant would have made a difference against the Warriors, his former team.
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