Kevin Durant is losing a compadre amid growing rumors over his future with the Houston Rockets.
Veteran NBA forward Josh Okogie is leaving the Rockets in free agency to sign with the Utah Jazz, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Friday. Okogie will be getting two-year, $12 million contract in order to head to The Beehive State.
The 27-year-old Okogie, a former first-round draft pick, spent the 2025-26 NBA season with Houston. Known as a stellar wing defender, Okogie averaged 4.5 points and 2.6 assists in just 17.4 minutes per game over 78 total appearances (shooting 38.5 percent from three as well).
Okogie is known too for his close relationship with the Rockets star forward Durant. The two were also previously teammates on the Phoenix Suns from 2023-25 before reuniting with each other in Houston. Okogie often took a load off Durant by drawing the tougher defensive assignments whenever they shared the court together.
The Rockets did recently sign a former Defensive Player of the Year in free agency to help ease the blow. But Okogie’s ability as a do-it-all wing defender will certainly be missed in Houston regardless.
As for Durant, signs emerged earlier in the day that opposing teams may believe that he is available for trade ahead of a possible foray into free agency in 2027. The loss of one of Durant’s favorite teammates in Okogie may only further fuel that speculation as the NBA offseason progresses.
