NBA Trade Notes: Rockets Get Their Star In Kevin Durant; Suns Reset; Heat Came Close To Deal

The Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns have agreed to a trade that will send former NBA MVP Kevin Durant to Houston, but the deal can’t become official until July 6, when salary cap restrictions are lifted.

That’s due to the “poison pill” provision tied to Jalen Green’s contract, which limits how his salary can be aggregated in trades until his rookie scale extension kicks in next month. Green, 23, is headed to Phoenix along with Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft, and five second-round selections.

In return, the Rockets get Durant, who at 36 years old still looks like a top-15 player, coming off a season in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and shot 43 percent from three. He’ll give Houston a proven playoff scorer and much-needed half-court shot creation after a first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors.

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Durant will be extension-eligible immediately after the moratorium ends, with a two-year, $122 million deal available on July 6. Houston is expected to pursue that extension, though Durant could wait six months and earn slightly more.

Either way, the Rockets are clearly planning on him being more than a rental.

Heat Made Late Push

Miami was the other known finalist, and per reports, including the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the Heat did improve their offer in recent days. But Phoenix preferred Houston’s combination of a blue-chip scorer in Green, a defensive wing in Brooks, and the lottery pick.

A source told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald that the Heat were unwilling to include multiple first-rounders, and balked at the idea of parting with rookie big man Kel’el Ware. That may have sealed it.

Suns Reset … Slightly

For Phoenix, this isn’t a full teardown — at least not yet. The Suns now have a surplus of guards, with Green joining Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. But per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, there are no immediate plans to flip Green, and the team still sees him as part of the core.

That said, Beal’s contract — which includes a no-trade clause and high cap number — continues to complicate any potential moves. If Phoenix wants to clear room or retool further, it may have to get creative.

Brooks gives the Suns a hard-nosed perimeter defender, and they’ll now pick 10th in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, where they’re expected to target another wing or a big with upside.

The five second-rounders also provide optionality, even if most of them fall outside the top 45.

Durant’s Third Act

Durant has now been traded three times in four years, an unusual pattern for an NBA player of his stature. He reportedly waived off a potential return to Golden State at the trade deadline, but had listed Houston, Miami and the San Antonio Spurs among his preferred landing spots.

Now he gets a shot at a new start in Houston, where he’ll join a team still loaded with talent — including Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Fred VanVleet — and a franchise ready to turn a corner.

It’s not 2014 Durant anymore. But if Houston can keep him upright and engaged, it just might be enough.