After the first round crashout, it’s pretty clear what the Houston Rockets need. They have a squad brimming with young, hungry talent. But every squad has to have a proven winner – someone who’s tasted glory, and wants it again just for the sheer feeling. They don’t have that right now. The two most likely in the market are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. But a multitude of factors indicate a decision may have been made already.

Don’t get this mistaken – neither will be cheap. There’ll be a lot more than just money and a few out-of-favour players involved. In terms of Giannis – well, who wouldn’t want to have the Greek Freak on their team? And in Houston? They’ll be a problem. But he won’t come cheap. For the Rockets, it’ll hit where it hurts. The Bucks would ideally want someone who could come close to emulating what Giannis has achieved in Milwaukee. The next superstar. In Houston, those superstars come in the form of Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.

They obviously wouldn’t want that. Thompson is a generational talent, while Sengun is far too valuable to Ime Udoka’s tactics. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, Kevin Durant will be the more ideal option. “Swapping their focus to the Phoenix Suns might be the better call for the Rockets. By parting ways with players like Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, and perhaps even Reed Sheppard (as well as draft picks), the Rockets could largely keep their core intact while adding Durant.”

The good part about your season getting over is the freedom to go to the drawing board. If you crash out in the season? It’s bad. But when you’ve had a promising season like the Rockets, it’s a positive outlook. It’s about how you can make this team better. Unfortunately for the veterans, it’s about looking forward. And that means putting people up on the chopping block. With Houston delaying Fred VanVleet’s team option, you just never know what the future might end up looking like. It might not include Giannis, but it might include a Grim Reaper.

Fred VanVleet’s option delay by Rockets could spark a Kevin Durant move

The original deadline for the extension was this Friday, 9th May. The Rockets have chosen to move the deadline up to June 29th, giving “both sides additional time to navigate exercising the option versus completing a longer term deal,” says ESPN’s Shams Charania.

VanVleet signed a three-year, $128.5 million contract with Houston in 2023, with a team option on the final season. That final season comes now, with their 2024-25 season coming to an end after an entertaining 4-3 loss to the Warriors in round 1. “Obviously I put my heart and soul into this, and this is where I want to be and it’s definitely a family situation,” VanVleet told reporters.

“I got a lot of love for our coaching staff and Rafael and the Fertitta family and just what we set out to do when I had my free-agent meeting two years ago. And we’re on that track, and it was never a short-term vision. It was a long-term goal.” But FVV is now 31, which is a bit too ancient for a Rockets team that has an average age of 26.4. Could they look to offload him for a superstar in the wait?

The Rockets have a busy summer ahead. They’re lucky to have a relatively longer time to rebuild. Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the dream, but more far-fetched than an engineering student getting placed a month after graduation. So in that case, will Kevin Durant be the best option?