How badly did Kevin Durant want to be back in Texas — the state where he played his college ball — and to be on a team with a legit title chance in the next couple of years? Here’s the answer:
Durant took about $30 million less than his max in agreeing to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by the team. The second year of that extension is a player option. Durant is in the final year of his current contract at $54.7 million and now is locked in with the Rockets for two years beyond that — and is taking a nearly $10 million a year drop from that salary to be part of a contender in Houston.
It was expected that Durant would get less than the max from Houston, but the expectation this summer was that he still wanted a nine-figure contract extension. This came in a little below that number, but it gives the Rockets flexibility in roster building over the next couple of years, such as signing Tari Eason to an extension but staying below the second tax apron.
This contract technically moves Durant ahead of LeBron James in all-time career earnings, based on past and current contracts: Durant is now at $598.2 million, while LeBron is “only” at $583.9 million (however, if LeBron plays another season after this one, he will retake the lead if the contract is worth $14.3 million, which is less than next season’s mid-level exception).
Durant had Houston on his list of preferred destinations where he wanted to be traded out of Phoenix last summer, and he is a hand-in-glove fit for the team’s needs — shooting and half-court offensive creation. The Rockets had an elite defense and a wealth of high-level young players and athletes — Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are at the top of that list — but their offense in the halfcourt became stagnant and ineffective (22nd in the league in halfcourt offense via Cleaning the Glass). Durant singlehandedly changes that and brings shooting to the table.
Durant will also have more on his plate this season in terms of shot creation after Houston lost point guard Fred VanVleet for the season due to a torn ACL. While Thompson and Reed Sheppard are taking on the point guard role, more is going to fall on Durant’s shoulders as well.
Durant is hopeful he can retire in Houston, he told Chris Mannix of SI.com.
“I’m looking to be here as long as I can, play my last years of my career. That’s the intent. I know, I said that about Phoenix, too, but that’s the intent. I would love to do that. I mean, I’m 37 years old and I’m going on 19 years in the league. I want to be solidified in a spot and build with a team with a group of guys that’s going to be around for a while. So hopefully this is it.”
Last season, in a rough season for the Suns, Durant, 37, still averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists a game while shooting 43% from 3-point range. He is still one of the best pure bucket getters in the game and exactly what the Rockets need.
Durant and the Rockets tip off the season Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, after watching KD’s former team raise a banner and get their championship rings. You can catch the game at 7:30 ET as the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock.