OKC might’ve won the championship, but the real storm came before the Thunder. Kevin Durant signing with the Rockets sent the media into sky-high elation, almost forgetting that they had a NBA Finals Game 7 on their hands. To be fair, you don’t get moves of that stature too often. And the Grim Reaper signing with Houston might be one of the most exciting moves of all time. Not because of the Hall of Fame pedigree he comes with, but the setup he brings that pedigree into.

Finishing 2nd in the West with a ridiculous 52-win season and a semis appearance was exactly what Houston wanted. Ime Udoka’s group of young boys were on the ascendancy all season.

But the reports of KD not even being an option due to his age were ever so loud. That didn’t really matter in the end – when they traded starters Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, along with five second-round picks. But regardless of how much the Rockets gave up this time around, KD’s situation could breed new hope at Houston.

Durant’s on the final year of the contract he signed at Brooklyn, worth $54.7 million. He is eligible this summer for a two-year extension worth up to $122 million. For a team that hesitated to pay the big bucks for his HOF pedigree, that’s some deal they decided to get themselves into.

But even if the hypothesis of KD staying for a year come to life, they’ll be fine. Why? Well, they got some much-needed offensive power while offloading an inconsistent Jalen Green and an ageing Brooks.

“Let’s say Kevin Durant doesn’t extend. Let’s say it’s a one year deal. I still think it’s a big win for Houston. Like this is a no doubt trade for them. Get off of Jalen Green’s contract. And they get off of Dillon Brooks’ money, which Dillon Brooks’ contract is fine, but it like, if he’s in Phoenix, he’ll be useful. If they want to trade him for an asset, he’s useful [in] places. But they have a lot of guys who could play that role between Tari Eason and Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson,” said Tim Bontemps on The Hoop Collective.

Eason, Smith, and Thompson have all been mentioned. But the one who benefits from this deal the most is arguably Alperen Sengun. He can finally stick to his defensive vices without worrying about the Rockets’ offense ranking being in the bottom third of the league in halfcourt points per play and 3-point percentage last season. And him staying is a huge W for the Rockets. Why? Not only do they keep him to partner Kevin Durant – they also pulled a masterclass with his extension.

Alperen Sengun’s extension was a moment of genius from GM Rafael Stone

It was an H-Town classic. They signed 5-year, $185 million rookie extension with a player option for the final season back in 2024.

On top of that, even if Durant goes after just a year, they got plenty of trade picks to choose from to get the best talent. But this is more for Rafael Stone’s execution of the layering of Sengun’s contract. Why don’t we listen to what Tim MacMahon has to say on the Hoop Collective before breaking it down?

“Alperen Sengun, when he was up for his extension, a lot of other teams would have just given him a max deal. He’d already get off to a great start in his career… Here’s his percentage of the cap under Bobby’s projections for the next four years: 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%. If you have a guy like that and you’re paying him 15% instead of 24%, right? That is very easily the difference between one or two more good players being on your team,” said Tim Mac on the pod.

Not only do they partner Sengun with Kevin Durant, they also sign one of the best rising talents in the NBA to a 5-year extension that hasn’t even kicked in yet. His growing salary goes parallel to the decreasing cap space. And that just allows them to add more firepower alongside Durant (if he chooses to stay post that year). Maybe giving up so much for a 36-year-old Grim Reaper wasn’t so bad after all, right?

Does this justify Stone’s masterclass for the ages? Sengun is arguably their most important player, so this was much needed. And if you add Kevin Durant into the mix, the Rockets might just prove to be a serious championship contendor next season.

They might be eternally doomed if they don’t. Grab your popcorn.