Although the trade sending star forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets occurred two weeks ago, the full details of the transaction were only recently made public. This delay was due to the complexity of the deal, which The Athletic reported as a historic first in NBA history, involving a record seven teams.
Undoubtedly, Durant`s move to Houston stands as the most significant transaction of the NBA offseason. This complex, multi-team deal was necessitated by Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and salary cap considerations. On Sunday, ESPN revealed the complete terms of the Durant trade, detailing the assets each of the seven participating teams acquired. The specifics are as follows:
| Team | Received |
|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea, Daeqwon Plowden, second-round pick |
| Houston Rockets | Kevin Durant, Clint Capela |
| Brooklyn Nets | Two second-round picks |
| Golden State Warriors | Alex Toohey, Jahmai Mashack |
| Atlanta Hawks | Second-round pick swap, David Roddy, cash |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Adou Thiero |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Rocco Zikarsky, two second-round picks, cash |
Durant himself acknowledged the trade on social media on Sunday, expressing gratitude to the Suns organization for their support during his two years with the team.
The Houston Rockets orchestrated this trade with the clear intention of becoming a championship contender. Although he will turn 37 in September, Durant continues to perform at a high level, having averaged 25 points per game over his last 16 seasons. He holds the unique distinction of being the only player in NBA history to achieve this scoring average across four different franchises. His decorated career includes two NBA championships, an MVP award, a Finals MVP, 15 All-Star selections, and a record four Olympic gold medals in Men`s Basketball.
Houston is coming off their most successful season since 2018-19, having reached 50 wins. They also demonstrated defensive prowess, finishing sixth in defensive rating (111.7), and were strong on the boards, ranking second in rebound percentage (53.6%) last season. Beyond the Durant trade, Houston has made other significant offseason moves, including contract extensions for coach Ime Udoka, forward Jabari Smith, and center Steven Adams, alongside the free-agent signing of Dorian Finney-Smith.
Jasper Hawthorne