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The Houston Rockets are on a search for a star and have zeroed in on Kevin Durant.
It’s just not clear if that feeling is mutual.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Durant has not requested a trade to Houston, and all signs point to Phoenix running things back next season.
“It is because they are interested in tempting the Suns to try to trade them Kevin Durant now. They don’t want to do this later. They want to put this on the table to see if the Suns would be tempted by it,” Windhorst said Wednesday on Get Up. “Now, Mat Ishbia, owner of the Suns, has been out there on the record saying we are bringing this back, we want to see these three stars healthy. Durant, to my knowledge, has not asked for a trade to Houston or anywhere else. Booker is fully invested in the Suns, but this move is bait. It is bait to the Suns to reconsider.”
The Rockets and Nets completed a trade Tuesday night that essentially served as a shuffling of deck chairs for future picks. Houston acquired a 2025 first-round pick swap, a Suns 2027 first-round pick and the two most favorable picks from the Dallas Mavericks, Suns and Rockets in 2029 as part of the deal.
Brooklyn regained its own 2025 first-round pick as the franchise embarks on a rebuild while also landing a 2026 first-round pick.
Houston, meanwhile, was loading up the asset coffers to make a real run at acquiring a superstar this summer. The Rockets are now armed with a bevy of future first-round picks and interesting young players they could package in a deal for Durant or another star who becomes available.
Windhorst said how the Rockets use the No. 3 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft could be a window into their willingness to give up Alperen Şengün.
“One thing I want to point out: watch what the Rockets do tonight with the No. 3 pick. This is one of the most important moments of the draft, and in many cases, this is where the draft kind of starts,” Windhorst said. “If the Rockets take Donovan Clingan out of UConn, another center, which is an option for them, and now have a bunch of centers on their roster, that would potentially enable them to make Alperen Şengün, their very talented young Turkish center, available in that type of trade to dangle in front of the Suns.”
Şengün emerged as arguably the best young player on the Rockets roster last season, so any trade involving him would have to be massive. As it stands, Houston will probably have to look elsewhere if it wants to make a big move this summer.
First appeared on bleacherreport.com