Kevin Durant’s Rockets Future on Hold as Houston Make 24YO Star Priority

After a first-round exit, the Houston Rockets wasted no time in the offseason to reinforce their team. They signed Kevin Durant from Phoenix, a monumental addition to their young core. However, from what can be inferred, his future with Houston so far is just for one year. See, the Slim Reaper has been eligible for a contract extension since his trade. The Rockets are yet to act on it.

It’s not that they haven’t been active. Jabari Smith Jr. signed a five-year extension to continue developing with the team. Durant, naturally, their apex scorer, might have to wait. There’s another player from Smith’s draft class whom the franchise wants to seal before conducting talks with Durant.

Tari Eason is among the Rockets’ versatile two-way players. He’s been sublime playing with the second unit, averaging a career-high 12 points and 1.7 steals per game this past season. According to Tim MacMahon, his impending extension takes priority for Houston and will determine how they handle Durant’s future.

“Tari Eason’s contract extension is not done yet, at least. I believe the Rockets would like to have Tari Eason’s extension done first, just to kind of know what, kind of math they’re working with,” the ESPN analyst said on Hoop Collective.

Having lost Jalen Green, Eason can be expected to have a significant role this season. The Rockets know it. So far, there has been constant communication between both sides about a contract renewal. But none of them are in any rush.

According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, “Team sources would prefer to finalize an extension sooner rather than later, while understanding it may drag out until closer to the start of the 2025-26 season. There’s also the possibility that both sides can’t come to terms on an extension and revisit the following summer in restricted free agency, but the Rockets don’t want it to be a lingering issue or distraction,”.

The budding star has dealt with some leg issues, even undergoing surgery in March 2024. While those are minor concerns, the Rockets are working on securing Tari Eason for the future. If his extension looks anything like Jabari Smith Jr.’s, it could complicate matters with KD. But he could be open to being the flexible member of the team.

Kevin Durant is willing to help the Houston Rockets

From watching the Slim Reaper over the last few seasons, there’s little to worry about for the Rockets. At 36, his scoring prowess barely declined as Durant maintained his streak of averaging over 25 points per game. Still, his age does serve as a concern for the Rockets, who boast a fine core of promising stars.

Considering that, a two-year $122 million extension for the four-time scoring champion seems unlikely. Luckily, Durant wants to create a healthy culture for those next-gen stars and isn’t expecting to land a max extension.

As per Tim MacMahon, “There have been rumblings of, ‘Hey, KD is not going to push for the full max.’ I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max,”. Thinking from a competitive standpoint, Kevin Durant would want the Houston Rockets to challenge for the championship for as many years as possible.

They have electric defenders such as Eason and Amen Thompson who are yet to fully develop. Furthermore, the Hoop Collective team also projects them running a “big” lineup with additions such as Dorian Finney-Smith in the offseason. The Rockets arguably have one of the most complete teams in the NBA this season.

Kevin Durant is prepared to embrace the sacrifices that come with catapulting their chances at winning. Keeping the band longer often breeds camaraderie and a winning attitude. Durant’s relaxed stance on his contract could make things a lot easier for the franchise who are ready to make a push for the treasure.

Durant gets to play meaningful basketball for one of the top teams in the West. Contending for a third championship till even in the last phase of his career is a true luxury. So it won’t be a surprise if he works together with the front office to ensure the Rockets keep their competitive edge for years to come.