It’s safe to say that when the Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns early in July, the deal changed the future landscape of the NBA. However, at the time, it also seemed that given that the Slim Reaper just had one year left on his four-year, $194.2 million contract, the Rockets front office would waste no time in locking the veteran sharpshooter. But nearly two months have passed since then, yet Houston shows no signs of offering the 36-year-old a new deal. So, what’s holding them back?

Well, the Rockets haven’t hit the panic button yet, because Durant still has another year and approximately $54.7 million remaining on his contract. However, it’s safe to say that Rafael Stone and Co. did not go to such an extent to acquire KD for just one season. Nonetheless, many around the league believe that the Rockets are working up a long-term deal with the Slim Reaper. But the only reason why they have yet to reach an agreement with him is the fact that Houston first wants to address Tari Eason’s situation.

According to The Athletic, “The belief among many around the NBA is that Houston is working to secure a long-term extension with Eason — who also has one year remaining on his contract — before inking Durant’s new deal. The hope is that once both are secured, the Rockets will have a much better understanding of what the financial future looks like for this current core.” The 24-year-old has only one year left on his rookie deal that’ll see him make under $5.7 million next season.

However, even this doesn’t make Eason a priority over Kevin Durant; rather, it’s the fact that the Rockets only have until October 20th to offer the forward a deal, otherwise he’ll become a restricted free agent next summer, something they don’t want to happen. More so, given how much potential he holds. Last season, Eason averaged 12 points along with 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. That is why the franchise wants to lock him down as soon as possible.

So, once they’re done agreeing on an amount with the six-foot-eight forward, only then will Houston think about resuming their talks with Durant about his two-year, $122 million extension. However, while this does indicate that the Rockets will do everything in their power to extend Kevin Durant past this summer, given that they’ve already handed Jabari Smith Jr. a five-year, $122 million deal, and are on the way to handing Eason one, and have Durant and Fred VanVleet to deal with, do they have enough salary cap to avoid the second apron?

What could Houston’s salary cap situation look like post KD and Eason deals?

There is no doubt that Kevin Durant’s arrival has turned the Houston Rockets into true contenders for the upcoming season, but it won’t come without a cost. Right now, after handing out a five-year $185 million deal to their All-Star center, Alperen Sengun, and another five-year, $122 million extension to Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets’ total salary allocation is already more than $116.9 million for the upcoming 2025-26 season (assuming Fred VanVleet denies his player option).

If we’re to expect a 7% rise in the salary cap, that would put the second apron at $222.4 million. This leaves the Rockets with around $106.4 million in salaries to spend without paying the luxury tax. However, given that Houston will still have to offer deals to the likes of VanVleet, Kevin Durant, and Eason, this will not be easy for the front office. More so, because each veteran’s minimum salary would further cost the franchise around $2.45 million, actually leaving them with around just $96.5 million to spend on the three.

This could be another huge reason why the franchise hasn’t yet offered Durant the max deal, because if they do offer him the max, that would wipe out a whopping $54.7 million from their salaries. This would mean that Houston would have to work their way with just $39.1 million to re-sign both Eason and VanVleet, without crossing the second apron. So, the best order of business might just be offering Eason a deal, assessing how much he’s going to cost them long term, and then figuring out deals with KD and VanVleet to avoid the wrath of the second apron.