NBA Trade: Kevin Durant Traded to Houston Rockets in Blockbuster Deal

Kevin Durant traded to Houston Rockets from Phoenix Suns in an eight-player deal. Read more about the blockbuster trade.

The Phoenix Suns have traded two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster deal worth eight players. The trade, confirmed by multiple reports on Sunday, is pending official completion on July 6, when the NBA free agency moratorium ends.

Trade Details:

Houston Rockets Acquire: Kevin Durant, a 15-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP

Phoenix Suns Receive:

• Players: Jalen Green, a 23-year-old guard, and Dillon Brooks, a 29-year-old swingman
• Draft Picks: The 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and five future second-round picks

From '06 ➡️ '25

Kevin Durant makes his return to the Lone Star State 🤠 pic.twitter.com/LFnKG7k8sH

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 22, 2025

The Rockets, guided by coach Ime Udoka, are expected to strengthen their title contention with Durant's addition. Durant is likely to sign a two-year, $100+ million extension with the Rockets. For the Suns, this trade provides an opportunity to rebuild and gain flexibility, pairing Jalen Green with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The trade brings Kevin Durant, a four-time Olympic champion and 2014 NBA MVP, to the Houston Rockets, where he'll join a young, rising team under coach Ime Udoka. The Rockets finished 52-30, second in the Western Conference.

The Suns, despite having the highest payroll in NBA history, had a disappointing 36-46 season, finishing 11th in the West. Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game for Phoenix.

NBA teams can agree on trade terms during the moratorium, but deals aren't finalized until the period ends in July.

Durant's $54.7 million contract expires soon, but a trade makes him eligible for a two-year extension. This limited his potential destinations to teams willing to offer a longer-term deal.

Durant had previously expressed interest in joining the Heat, Rockets, or Spurs, and the trade to Houston puts him on one of his preferred teams.

The Suns will receive several second-round picks in the deal, including the 59th overall pick, two picks in 2026, a 2030 pick, and a 2032 pick, according to ESPN.

Durant will join a talented Rockets team featuring Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet, providing a strong supporting cast for the veteran star.

Durant's familiarity with coach Ime Udoka could ease his transition to the Rockets. The two worked together with the Brooklyn Nets and on Team USA.

The Suns acquire Jalen Green to pair with Devin Booker, forming a dynamic backcourt duo. Green averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while Booker contributed 25.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Kevin Durant's Early NBA Career

Durant was selected second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. He became a four-time NBA scoring champion with the Thunder.

Who would've thought Russ, KD and Harden would all be Houston Rockets at some point in their careers 😯 pic.twitter.com/NJKcYUYdPN

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 22, 2025

Durant led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat. He won the 2014 NBA MVP award but fell short in the Western Conference finals that year against San Antonio.

The Thunder's 2016 Western Conference Finals collapse, blowing a 3-1 lead to Golden State, remains memorable. The Warriors' championship dreams were later dashed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, in the NBA Finals.

Golden State's loss to Cleveland prompted the Warriors to pursue Durant, who joined the team in free agency. He signed a two-year deal and helped the Warriors win consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018.

Durant's tenure with the Warriors ended on a sour note when he suffered a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. He left for Brooklyn in free agency shortly after.

Durant's injury kept him sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season. During his Nets tenure, the team couldn't advance beyond the second round, leading to his trade to Phoenix.

The Suns managed just one playoff series win with Durant over three seasons, while the Rockets had missed the playoffs four years straight before being eliminated by Golden State in this year's first round.