Kevin Durant already facing trade speculation after one year with Rockets

The Houston Rockets took a major swing by trading for Kevin Durant.

Now, despite the move barely settling in, some around the league are already wondering how long the partnership could actually last.

Houston won 52 games this past season and appeared ahead of schedule in its rebuild even before adding Durant. The Rockets have one of the NBA’s deeper collections of young talent and clearly believe the window to contend is opening sooner rather than later.

Still, trade speculation surrounding Durant never seems to disappear for very long.

According to Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, there’s growing league curiosity not only about Durant’s future in Houston, but also about how many teams would realistically pursue him if he were available again.

“A report from The Ringer says he is on the market,” Deveney wrote. “But is there any team left in the NBA that wants to take on his drama?”

That “drama” reference largely centers around Durant’s social media activity and occasional off-court storylines that have followed him throughout various stops in his career.

Basketball-wise, though, Durant remains Durant.

Even entering his late 30s, he is still viewed as one of the NBA’s elite scorers and most gifted offensive players ever. When healthy, he continues making teams significantly better.

So while league observers may debate the baggage at times, the idea that no teams would have interest in Durant still feels difficult to fully buy into.

Players with his talent level rarely stay unwanted for very long.