When the Houston Rockets landed Kevin Durant back in July, everyone figured a new deal was a no-brainer. The 36-year-old had just one year left on his four-year, $194.2 million contract, so an extension seemed inevitable. But weeks turned into months, and nothing happened. The front office appeared more focused on its young core than on securing its new superstar. Now, though, the wait is over, and Houston has finally come to terms with its biggest name yet.

After months of speculation and holding back, the Houston Rockets have finally locked down Kevin Durant. ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that both parties have agreed on a two-year $90 million deal. “BREAKING: Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman tells ESPN. The new deal includes a player option in 2027-28,” Charania tweeted.

Durant was eligible for a two-year, $120 million deal, so this does feel like a $30 million cut, but even this isn’t bad. More so, given the fact that this takes the Slim Reaper over his long-time rival, LeBron James. KD has overtaken the Los Angeles Lakers superstar for the record of the highest career earnings in NBA history based on current and future salaries. The Houston forward is set to earn around $598.2 million by the end of this deal, which is higher compared to James, who will be earning around $583.9 million.

Mind you, Durant has only agreed to take a pay cut so that he and the Rockets partner for the long term, according to Charania. While that’s a huge factor, it’s not the only one.

The cut allows Houston with team-building flexibility, something they’ve been in dire need of after dishing out maximum deals to several of their young stars. All-Star center Alperen Sengun had a five-year $185 million deal, and Jabari Smith Jr. also had a similar five-year $122 million deal. This makes you think, what will Houston do with the $30 million they’ve saved?

What impact will Kevin Durant’s pay cut have on Houston’s future?

Well, now that we know that the Houston Rockets have secured Kevin Durant for the foreseeable future, that too, without having to hand the veteran a max deal, there are questions about how the franchise will use this money. Even though the Rockets have almost handed out each of their core players a new deal, there’s one man who’s still due a payday: Tari Eason. The 24-year-old only has one year left on his rookie deal, and if he doesn’t reach an agreement with the franchise will be a free agent in 2026.

The six-foot-eight forward has emerged as a real talent last season. Eason finished the 2024-25 season averaging 12 points along with 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He was an absolute tank for the organization last season in defense. So, it will only be smart to keep him around, because it’s safe to say there will be a lot of potential suitors for him if he enters the open market.

Nonetheless, it’s not like the Rockets front office doesn’t want to extend him. The only thing holding them back has been the apron penalties. While the salary cap is expected to rise year after year, as we now know, they had already dished out deals to Sengun, Smith, and also needed ways to hand out Kevin Durant a new deal as well. So, now that’s sorted, the franchise can finally shift its focus forward. More so, after they have saved around $30 million from this KD deal.

Just a few days ago, Tim Bontemps revealed that he was confident that a deal would be agreed upon by both parties. “This feels as if it will get done eventually,” he wrote. “With Eason’s injury history, locking in some long-term financial security makes sense. Houston has locked up its young players under general manager Rafael Stone, so expect the Rockets to continue to do so.” Now that the Rockets are done with Kevin Durant, it seems it will only be a matter of time before they also lock in Tari Eason, as we keep a close eye on all developments.