NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal Shares Thoughts on Kevin Durant's Trade to Houston

"Definitely got a closer, but they play with intensity, they play good defense," says O'Neal. "Should get them higher, higher towards the top. I know they let go of Jalen Green; he carried them last year, but KD is a more consistent Jalen Green. Jalen Green was too up and down for them to get to the next level, but listen, if KD's healthy shooting the ball well, they can make some noise."

O'Neal would essentially echo what other former NBA stars have said when it comes to the future of this Houston Rockets team. Their No. 1 need this offseason was to find an alpha male scorer to help put them over the top, who better than a two-time NBA finals MVP and one of the league's best scorers in Durant.

Since his rookie campaign, Durant has yet to have a season under a 25-point per game average, having the longest streak of anyone in the league that is not Lebron James. He's shot over 40% behind the three-point line the past two seasons, giving Houston an immediate boost in a category that they ranked below par in last season for a highly rated seed.

Coming into the season, the Rockets are likely to be favorites as a team to compete in the Western Conference playoffs, thanks to the scoring prowess of Durant. Their rising stars, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, will hope to once again contribute to the Rockets' success alongside their new future Hall of Fame teammate.

As the Rockets continue to prepare for the 2025-26 season, they'll look to Durant to spearhead their offense and help lead them past their first-round hump that they stumbled into last season.