The Houston Rockets just gave up a good amount to trade for Kevin Durant, but they may not necessarily be falling over themselves to extend his contract beyond that.
Houston is not expected to offer the former MVP Durant a new contract that is anywhere close to his full maximum. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon made that report during the latest episode of “The Hoop Collective” podcast.
“The Rockets are not gonna go all-in … on an extension for Kevin Durant,” said MacMahon. “There have been rumblings that KD’s not going to push for the full max, I dont know the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max … It’s not ideal, but I don’t think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he’s on, just on the expiring.”
The former NBA MVP Durant, who turns 37 next month, landed on the Rockets in June as part of a record trade that cost Houston some strong pieces such as Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and significant future draft capital. As it stands right now, Durant will indeed be entering next season on an expiring contract at $54.7 million.
Durant obviously still has plenty of value on the court, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season on sublime 53/43/84 shooting splits. But the Rockets, with a roster that otherwise skews far younger, need to be smart about their long-term cap situation.
Houston already signed Alperen Sengun, 23, to a five-year, $185 million extension last offseason and followed that up by signing Jabari Smith Jr, 22, to a five-year, $122 million extension this offseason. But they still have to worry about 22-year-old Amen Thompson, who is eligible for an extension next summer, 24-year-old Tari Eason, who is eligible for an extension right now, and (to a lesser extent) 31-year-old Fred VanVleet, who can test the free agent waters next summer.
The Rockets have been taking some notable steps to properly accommodate Durant ever since his arrival a couple of months ago. But if they would like to continue their partnership beyond next season, it will obviously have to come at a price that makes sense for both sides.
