In a seismic deal that stole headlines, the Rockets have acquired forward Kevin Durant, improving their Western Conference and NBA championship odds at all of the major sportsbooks.
Balance of Power Shifts to Houston
Oklahoma City was such a steamroller this season that few gave any notice to Houston, a team that had captured the Southwest Division crown and was second in the West but trailed the Thunder by a stunning 16 games, ending with a 52-30 regular season mark. The Rockets would be one-and-done in the postseason, getting bounced in seven games by No. 7 Golden State.
The last major name to be associated with the Rockets was James Harden, but his trade request was met on January 14, 2021, to form a super team in Brooklyn along with former teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, that experiment didn’t last long, and he was dealt to the 76ers nearly a year later.
Durant’s Journey to Houston
As for Kevin Durant, he would remain in Brooklyn until he was shipped to Phoenix in February 2023 and has remained in the desert until a few days ago. The 2x NBA champ was moved to Houston in exchange for guard Jalen Green, hybrid forward Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks. That is a haul, but it could be exactly what Houston needed to get itself out from under.
The 2026 NBA future odds for Houston before the trade were +1800, but with Durant coming to “H-Town,” those odds have tumbled to +800 to win next season’s title. To put that in context, if we take a look at Caesars’ NBA futures odds showing the Rockets at +800, we see them trailing only three other teams: Oklahoma City (+250), the Cleveland Cavaliers (+650), and the New York Knicks (+700).
Durant Is a Game-Changer
The Phoenix Suns were not a contender this season, but consider how much better they were with Durant in the lineup. The Suns were 32-29 with Durant on the court, while they were a dismal 3-17 with him out of the lineup. Durant makes a bad team decent and good teams great.
Durant’s Impact
Despite his advanced age at soon-to-be 37, Durant has the veteran experience and innate talent to turn this edition of the Rockets into a championship contender. Houston will boast a starting lineup that will include Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.
Durant is a 6’11” menace whose natural abilities exceed the standard paint presence enjoyed by the other big men in the league. What’s even better is that the Rockets have talented players who will likely be left alone much more due to the double and triple teams on Durant. This should elevate this club from strictly a defensive menace to a legitimate dual threat.
The fact that the Rockets were exposed by Steph Curry and the savvy Warriors in the playoffs reveals they also needed a wily veteran of their own to contend with the mettle of the league. And although Durant had an inkling he was likely on the move, he didn’t acknowledge it until he got confirmation of the deal while appearing at Fanatics Fest in New York.
“Being part of the Houston Rockets, I’m looking forward to it,” Durant said. “It’s a crazy, crazy couple weeks, but I’m glad it’s over with.”
Durant said the Suns had asked him where he preferred to be traded. “I gave them some of my destinations, and here we are,” Durant said.
