The Rockets made their big swing last summer, trading for Kevin Durant after a promising playoff run. One year later, there are more questions than answers.
Houston’s season ended with a first-round loss to the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers, and Durant was mostly unavailable. He missed multiple games with a knee issue and later a left ankle sprain and bone bruise, appearing just once in the series. Coach Ime Udoka said mobility remained the biggest hurdle.
“When you can’t do specific movements that hurt you, you can’t progress,” Udoka said, via William Guillory and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Durant, 37, was otherwise productive during the regular season, but his situation isn’t just about health.
According to The Athletic, he created tension internally around the All-Star break by allegedly criticizing teammates in group chats using a burner account. League sources described it as a “significant distraction” that was never fully resolved.
Now comes the bigger question. Does he stay?
Durant is set to make $43.9 million next season and effectively enters an expiring situation with a player option in 2027-28. There are also concerns about fit, particularly how the offense flowed around him and Alperen Sengun.
Elsewhere, Houston is expected to prioritize a new deal for Tari Eason, while maintaining confidence in Udoka and GM Rafael Stone, per Kelly Iko of Yahoo.
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