Kevin Durant is still one of the NBA’s most efficient high-volume scorers. But according to a rival executive, the veteran’s on-court production may not be translating into the kind of trade value his résumé would normally command.
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Durant is under contract with the Rockets through the 2026-27 season, with a player option for 2027-28. His two-year, $90 million extension, applicable from this season, means Houston will have to decide on his future soon. And there is also a chance the Rockets lose him for absolutely nothing.
Now, according to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney, one NBA executive believes Durant will only draw a modest return: a first-round pick. How come?
“Not a lot more, though, not like what Phoenix got,” Deveney wrote. “He’s not just a guy who gives you 26 points, all the other stuff makes it more complicated with him.”
When the Phoenix Suns traded Durant to the Rockets in 2025, they got Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick (2025), and multiple second-round picks. Times have changed, with Durant obviously getting older and other reported locker room problems as well.
In May, sources told ESPN that Durant’s “moodiness” tended to affect younger players during the season, and it was visible in awkward moments between him and Alperen Sengun translating onto the court. After that burner leak fiasco, however, Sengun set the record straight, saying they “never had an argument.”
Durant’s potential departure from Houston, though, seems imminent after the offseason extensions that’ve been locked in. More on this later. Now, Eric Jay Santos of SI suggests the Los Angeles Lakers are a team that can “use an upgrade” at forward. But with Durant nearing 38, is that really feasible?
Why Durant Is Still Worth the Conversation
Kevin Durant’s production in Houston tells a different story. He averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists over 78 games last season and earned All-NBA Second Team honors. He shot 52 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from the three-point range. Durant also finished in the top five in total points.
His scoring gives teams more than just another high-volume option. Durant can attack one-on-one, knock down shots from outside, and still score without dominating the ball. That makes pairing him with another star who needs the ball in his hands easier.
Those qualities become even more important in the playoffs, when defenses have more time to take away a team’s first option. Durant’s ability to create a shot when the offense gets stuck could give a contender another way to attack.
The Case for the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are a logical team to discuss because they already have offensive talent at the top of their roster. Luka Doncic remains the primary creator, while Austin Reaves gives LA another ball-handler and scorer. Reaves is set to make about $41.3 million in 2026-27, while Doncic earns $49.5 million.
Durant would give that group another high-level scoring option on the wing. The fit is straightforward. Doncic is most dangerous with the ball in his hands, while Durant can operate as either a primary scorer or a floor-spacing option. Reaves can work on or off the ball, giving Los Angeles multiple ways to attack defenses.
Adding Durant would give the Lakers another answer when opponents load up on Doncic (which they will). His midrange game, perimeter shooting and size would also create different problems for defenses in a playoff series.
There has also been reporting that the Lakers were among the teams with varying degrees of interest in Durant if Houston eventually made him available. That does not mean a trade is being negotiated, but it makes Los Angeles a team worth monitoring.
Breaking Down Durant’s Trade Value
Skepticism around Kevin Durant’s market is less about his production and more about what teams would give up for a 37-year-old with a hefty contract…
Durant’s 2026-27 salary is about $43.9 million, while his 2027-28 player option is roughly $46.1 million. This could make teams cautious about giving up substantial long-term assets for a player approaching his late 30s. That is what makes the executive’s reported valuation so striking.
Multiple interested contenders, though, could create a very different market. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons, among others, have been named in several trade speculations and ideas by insiders throughout the offseason. Crucially, nothing concrete yet.
For the Lakers, who are out of future draft picks after the Walker Kessler deal, any potential agreement would also need to satisfy the salary and apron rules while providing Houston with a return that makes sense for its roster.
Why Houston Might Say No Anyway
The Rockets have their own reason to keep Kevin Durant: he gives a young roster an established offensive centerpiece.
Houston finished the 2025-26 regular season 52-30 and fifth in the Western Conference before losing its first-round series to the Lakers. Durant’s first season alongside Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. therefore ended with a playoff appearance.
Trading him for something close to the reported one-first-round-pick valuation would mean accepting a significant discount only one season after acquiring him.
The playoff result also doesn’t fully capture Durant’s impact. He missed Game 1 against Los Angeles with a bruised right knee and suffered a left ankle sprain late in Game 2, which kept him out for the rest of the series. Until then, though, Durant had played in 78 regular-season games, far more than players his age do.
That gives Houston another reason to consider keeping him rather than accepting a significantly reduced return.
The reality, however, is that the Rockets avoided making blockbuster moves over the past few months. Instead, they offered their trusted young stars better long-term deals, including Tari Eason (five-year, $81 million) and Amen Thompson (five-year, $208 million). The team’s core of Eason, Thompson, Sengun and Smith Jr. is locked through 2028-29. It does raise doubts about Durant’s future in Houston…
For anything to happen, two questions would have to align: whether Los Angeles can put together a credible financial and basketball offer, and whether Houston believes moving Durant is worth giving up what he can still provide on the court.