The dominant story in the NBA’s rumor mill right now is Kevin Durant, who is currently a member of the Phoenix Suns, but who will be traded this week. In fact, he may even be traded today. And until today, the Houston Rockets have long been said to have been one of the parties interested in acquiring the future Hall-of-Famer.
Now, though, it seems their interest has cooled.
Per a report by Sam Amick of The Athletic, it seems the Rockets have hit their walkaway price. Amick reports that the Rockets have not engaged in talks with the Suns for a week, and in the madcap world of frenetic NBA trade discussions, a week might as well be an epoch.
I was told [Thursday] that Houston hadnât talked to Phoenix since last week, and that call didnât go particularly well. That could have changed by now, again thatâs as of yesterday. They would love to have KD, but itâs on their price.
Rockets Hold More Of The Cards
The Rockets had previously been reported to be balking at Phoenix’s requests for certain players. While they were willing to include flawed star scoring guard Jalen Green – with whom the Rockets have had a turbulent ride to date – in talks, the Rockets were said to be resistant to including any of Jabari Smith, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard in any Durant discussion.
If the Suns insist that they do, and the Rockets insist that they do not, then the two teams may well have reached a good old-fashioned impasse. This in turn would explain what Amick reports as the terse nature of their most recent call.
Certainly, the Suns have been trying to play the multiple suitors for Durant off against each other. Those teams are said include, but are not limited to; the San Antonio Spurs, whose interest might not be as heavily reciprocated as Durant’s is to them; the Miami Heat, who may be in the driving seat if ever they are willing to include Kel’El Ware in their offer; and the Toronto Raptors, who are more willing to part with what they have yet who do not have as much to offer of interest to Phoenix as the others may.
Phoenix, though, are reported to be struggling with a lack of leverage. Their asking price for the 37-year-old Durant, it is said, is too high. And if they cannot get the Rockets to part with any of the Eason/Smith/Sheppard trio, that report seems to be holding true.
Win Now, Win Later
Having decided that three years at the top of the lottery was enough, the Rockets have made conscious efforts to speed up their rebuild over the past couple of seasons. It worked, too. They finished second in the Western Conference standings during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, getting some much-needed postseason experience that will benefit their roster in the future, and opening themselves a window of championship competitiveness.
That said, they have not done so at the expense of their youth. Eason and Smith are considered parts of the young core who will raise the team’s ceiling in the medium and long-term futures, along with others such as All-NBA Defensive First Team award winner Amen Thompson and All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who is also not considered available. Sheppard, the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has not been a contributor as of yet, but he was a #3 pick for a reason. There is talent there, and plenty of time for him to realize it.
Enviably, the Rockets have managed to build a team with good veterans now – Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, the recently-extended Steven Adams – while also having genuine expectation of internal development for the future. If they can land Durant now to add to the quality of the immediacy, they will. But they will not forgo the future to do it. The Suns, then, may have to look elsewhere.
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