The Houston Rockets will have one of the best lineups on the court at all times this season with the addition of Kevin Durant. Durant’s presence reshapes the Rockets from head to toe, influencing rotations, roles, strategies, and identity. Durant joins a core of rising stars in Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Şengün who now gain an elite level-one scorer beside them.
“Team sources said there are early indications Smith will likely return to the starting lineup, with Thompson — who originally replaced Smith last season after Smith broke his hand — slotting into Green’s vacated starting spot. The Rockets now possess ample length at four starting positions, amplifying the defensive tools Udoka now has at his disposal.”
The Houston Rockets are expected to start Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Şengün, per @sam_amick & @KellyIko
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 22, 2025
“Team sources said there are early indications Smith will likely return to the starting lineup, with Thompson — who originally… pic.twitter.com/X2RqJOqRZW
With KD spacing the floor, cutting calmly, and creating effortless offense, these young players can develop in cleaner attacking roles without forcing plays. Durant’s gravity opens driving lanes and busts coverages, giving the Rockets’ upcoming talent prime opportunities to elevate their games.
While Durant offers elite offensive output, the Rockets don’t sacrifice defense. His length is an underrated tool as he uses it to disrupt passing lanes, clogging the paint, and forcing switches. Expect Houston’s scheme to encourage Durant picking up ball-handlers in space, playing stellar team defense, and allowing athletic wings to recover stunts or rolls.
He is the anchor who can contest without overhelping and still close out on shooters. The Rockets are now one of the better teams in the NBA with the addition of Durant.
More must-reads:
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
The crowd was buzzing at Saint Vincent's College as the Pittsburgh Steelers' first-string offense took the field. It was a good, old-fashioned offense versus defense drill on the opening day of camp, and it gave everyone a first look at the team's top units. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass, was rushed a bit and threw a pass. What he didn't see was middle linebacker Patrick Queen, who intercepted the pass and ran it back to the sound of ohs and ahs from the crowd. Following the practice, Rodgers was asked what kind of omen throwing a pick on the first play was. The 41-year-old quarterback seemed unconcerned by the blunder. "It's good to get that out the way," he joked. "Anybody that's watched me practice over the years. Ya know, you like to try certain throws at certain times." It wasn't what Rodgers, the coaching staff or the fanbase wanted to see from his first throw in training camp, but it did. Is he concerned about the interception? Absolutely not. As Rodgers put it, practice is one thing, but when it comes to game time, he takes care of the football. And while he may cause some turnovers, he also delivers touchdowns. "Anybody who's watched me in games knows that I've been pretty stellar at taking care of the football over the years," he continued. "There's gonna be picks, for sure. I'm gonna try to fit certain things in. You know, you gotta deal with some sweat on the ball from time to time. It's going to be a good challenge for me, throwing in this heat every day. I look forward to it, but I'm going to throw some picks. I'm going to throw some touchdowns too." The statistics of Aaron Rodgers' career would back up his claim as well. Entering his 21st season, he's thrown double-digit interceptions just four times in his career. One of those times was last season with the lowly New York Jets, and he still managed to throw for 28 touchdowns to compensate. It was an unfortunate start for Rodgers, but the veteran QB is moving on quickly, and hopefully, everyone else does too.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently discussed some of the top names available at the trade deadline. One of the names Reuter discussed was St. Louis Cardinals reliever Phil Maton. With Maton sitting on an expiring contract, it seems quite likely he's traded away. "Few pitchers have done a better job limiting hard contact this season than Maton, who ranks among the MLB leaders in hard-hit rate allowed (97th percentile), average exit velocity allowed (100th percentile) and barrel rate allowed (97th percentile)," Reuter wrote. "The 32-year-old has a 2.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 with 18 holds in 38 games." The Cardinals were reportedly the only team that had interest in Maton as a free agent in the offseason, but now, a lot of contenders will likely go after him on the trade block. One of the team's that would be a perfect fit for Maton is the New York Yankees. The Yankees are bound to be quite aggressive at the trade deadline, and they need to add an arm to the bullpen. While it would be fun for the Yankees to chase a name like Ryan Helsley or Emmanuel Clase, it's more likely they'll use their top prospects to trade for a third baseman and a starting pitcher. That means the Cardinals could ship Maton to the Bronx in exchange for one or two mid-level prospects at the deadline. This would work for St. Louis, who is not going to contend for the World Series this season either way. It would also work for the Yankees, who could add to their bullpen in an affordable way, while saving the top prospects to be traded in the bigger deals.
Over the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders have emphasized the importance of growing closer as a team. The Raiders have taken steps on and off the field to help cultivate a more competitive and team-oriented environment. It appears to be working. The bond between Maxx Crosby and Jackson Powers-Johnson has been evident to teammates and coaches, as the two often collaborate to improve their respective skill sets. Crosby is the leader of the team, and Powers-Johnson has quickly developed into a leader on the offensive side of the ball. Both players mutually respect the other's game, but although they are close friends now, Crosby noted it was not always that way. "Yeah, it's funny. It's something, like to be 100% real, like last year, I mean me and Jackson did not have a great relationship," Crosby said. "I'm hard on guys, especially young dudes. Like, there's respect that's got to be earned when you come into this league, in this locker room, especially. Like, there's a certain standard I expect from the guys, and he did a lot - like the amount of growth he's had in the last year has been unbelievable. If I were sitting here a year ago and you would have told me all the stuff he did this offseason to get himself in this position he's in, I truly wouldn't believe you, but that's the beauty in this game. After spending last season at guard and center, Powers-Johnson entered the offseason programs as the team's starting center. Powers-Johnson is expected to develop into one of the Raiders' most dependable offensive linemen. After the second day of training camp, Powers-Johnson elaborated on Crosby's words from the day before. "I mean, coming in, I had a lot of rough trials. I missed a little training camp, missed a little bit of Organized Team Activities. I came in not proven, so in his eyes, I look at and see, 'Oh here's a second-round pick who hasn't really proved anything.' And then I ended up proving a little bit in-season, a little bit of my work, and really putting in a lot of work in the offseason with him," Powers-Johnson said. "I mean, you got to think of it -- you're not just going to meet a girl and she's going to love you right away. You got to take her out to dinner a couple of times, meet her parents, and then maybe she'll love you. So I just had to put in the work." Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and weigh in on this take. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss this take
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!