How the Kevin Durant Trade Looks From the Suns’ Point of View

"The biggest change was the individual brilliance that was on display on a nightly basis. Durant is one of the most accomplished and dangerous individual scorers in NBA history, and going from the context of having role players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson on the wing to a certified bucket like KD gave the Suns another go-to option they didn't have before."

The Suns already had an established player in Devin Booker, who had already been to the NBA Finals and was one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. Even with all of his accomplishments, Booker benefited the most from playing next to Durant, says Bourguet.

"Booker was used to seeing the brunt of the defense's attention, but Durant's arrival allowed him to attack more advantageous positions, including the 2023 NBA Playoffs, when he's never been better individually."

That is important because Alperen Sengun has faced even more double teams, and teams have started to gear their entire defense around stopping him on the offensive end. Durant's gravity on the court will definitely help alleviate some of the pressure off Sengun next season.

Durant has been known for his elite shooting since entering the NBA, something the Rockets have needed for the last several seasons. As he has gotten older, parts of his offensive game have changed. Bourguet believes that Durant can still be all over the court.

"He can operate effectively as a catch-and-shoot guy because he's such an efficient shooter, but he definitely prefers to operate from his spots in isolation from the elbows and the mid-post."

The Rockets frequently utilize the pick-and-roll throughout the game, particularly with Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun. That, again, will be a big part of the Rockets' offensive game plan next season. Bourguet discussed how Durant operates in the pick-and-roll.

"According to NBA.com, Durant ranked in the 66th percentile in pick-and-roll points per possession as the ball-handler. The Suns were near the top 10 in pick-and-roll frequency. He's better out of isos, since defenders like to blitz and double KD out of pick-and-rolls, but he was effective in leveraging his gravity with the ball and getting off of it to allow his teammates to attack the advantages on the backside."

Durant's ability to score from all over the court makes defending a pick-and-roll against the Rockets going forward less easy to gameplan for, especially when the Rockets run a Durant and Sengun pick-and-roll or even Amen Thompson and Durant, given Thompson's ability to get to the basket.

The Rockets recognized the need for veteran leadership after the rebuild and addressed it in the 2023 offseason. The Rockets signed VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to add leadership on the court. With Brooks now heading to the Suns, more of the leadership falls to VanVleet. Some players lead by being more vocal, and others lead by example, which is what Bourguet believes Durant excels at.

"Durant is a quintessential lead-by-example guy, and numerous teammates and coaches over the years have pointed to his tremendous work ethic in practice, setting the tone for the rest of the squad. He was probably more vocal than people realize, especially when it came to mentoring Bol Bol, but he's definitely more of a lead-by-example guy."

Being able to work with Durant day in and day out will help the entire team, especially the younger players, such as Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. Bringing in Durant will help the Rockets on offense, where they have struggled at times the last several seasons but the Rockets still hang their hat on the defensive end.

Bourguet feels that Durant despite his advance age can still help the Rockets on the defensive end of the court as well.

"He's definitely still a plus defender. He wasn't as good last season as he was in 2023-24, when he deserved All-Defensive Team consideration, but that was also a byproduct of how bad (and mismanaged) the Suns were on that end under Mike Budenholzer."

Bourguet also believes the Rockets' elite defense will help him as he won't have to guard the other teams' best players.

"Joining a Rockets team that was second in defensive rating last year, Durant should more than hold his own, especially with younger, defensive-minded players who can save him from having to take on the toughest matchups, which is what Phoenix required him to do."

There, of course, are two sides to any trade, and Bourguet believes the Suns did get a defensive-minded player in Brooks.

"Dillon Brooks is a defensive-minded villain who brings physicality and toughness, which should fit right in with the new culture that Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory want to establish. Some of the things that he provides were sorely missed in Phoenix last year, and if his career shooting year carries over, that's an underrated pickup for the Suns."

Bourguet feels Green may not be the best fit with Booker but does see Green's potential.

"As for Jalen Green, while I'm not high on his game or his fit with Devin Booker, he's still only 23 years old and will be joining the Suns with a chip on his shoulder after his ugly first postseason outing led to him being traded away from Houston. He's an elite shot creator, but now he has to learn to be an efficient shot-maker in a reduced, off-ball role next to Book."

Ultimately, the main question is what the Rockets and their fans should expect from Kevin Durant next season. Bourguet says the Rockets are getting elite isolation scoring, amongst other things.

"Expect elite isolation scoring, crunch-time dominance and solid defense. He may have to carry Houston's offense during the playoffs, but hopefully their combination of elite defense and his individual brilliance on offense will make for a great pairing."

As the Rockets' front office and coaching staff watched the playoffs unfold, they may have realized that a chance for a championship isn't as far off as it seemed when the season started. That may have played a role in the Rockets moving on from Jalen Green after his disappointing playoff performance and bringing in Kevin Durant.

Durant gives the Rockets something they have been missing since James Harden left: a go-to scorer they can rely on in any clutch game situation. The Rockets know Durant's career is coming to its conclusion, but even at age 36, Durant takes the Rockets from a feel-good story to a championship contender.