Kevin Durant Traded to Rockets After Suns Era Falls Short
Kevin Durant’s time in Phoenix is over. The Suns are sending the 15-time All-Star to the Houston Rockets in a major trade that ends a two-plus season experiment that never reached its championship goal.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Suns will receive Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks stretching through 2032.
The trade will become official on July 6 due to salary cap restrictions tied to Green’s rookie extension.
The move comes after a disappointing 2024–25 season in Phoenix that saw the team finish 36–46 and miss the playoffs entirely, despite strong individual performances from Durant and Devin Booker. The Suns’ hopes of contending in the West never materialized, leading to the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer after just one season.
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns are trading two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/EwrbA2ES9O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2025
Durant joins a rising Rockets squad led by Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün. Houston had been among Durant’s preferred destinations, along with Miami. While the team is still young, adding a future Hall of Famer gives them a dangerous mix of youth and elite experience.
Durant's individual production remains elite. He averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43 percent from three last season. Despite being 36, he continues to be one of the league's most efficient scorers.
This deal is also part of a larger pattern shaking up the Western Conference.
In just the past few months, Luka Dončić was dealt to the Lakers, De’Aaron Fox went to the Spurs, and Jimmy Butler joined the Warriors. Durant heading to Houston adds yet another power shift ahead of next season.
For the Suns, the return signals a pivot toward the future. Green offers upside, Brooks brings defensive toughness, and the draft assets provide flexibility. It's a far cry from the win-now vision that began when Phoenix acquired Durant from Brooklyn in 2023.
That run, highlighted by a second-round playoff exit, never delivered the title Phoenix hoped for. Now, the Suns reset while Durant moves on to what may be his final chapter.
The gamble didn't pay off in Phoenix. Houston is hoping their bet on Durant will.
Meanwhile, Durant's former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, plays game 7 of the NBA finals tonight in OKC against the Indiana Pacers at 7 pm.
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