One key factor is holding back Rockets' pursuit of Kevin Durant

Heading into the offseason, the Houston Rockets are a team expected to make upgrades. They had great success in the regular season, finishing with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. However, after running into Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in round one, the young squad found themselves with an early exit. 

Armed with numerous young prospects and draft capital, the Rockets have the capital to swing a big trade this summer. The rumor mill is slowly starting to heat up, but as of now, Kevin Durant remains one of the biggest names expected to be on the move. 

Earlier in this season, the Rockets were tossed out as a potential team that could make a run at Durant. That said, according to recent developments, one thing is holding back their possible pursuit of the former MVP. 

In a recent column for The Athletic, Kelly Iko and Sam Amick cited KD's age in relation to their core as a driving force in Houston's reluctance. 

"While Durant is widely seen as the most attainable of that group, and he is known to be very interested in playing in Houston, team sources said the Rockets still have significant reservations about that possible partnership, in large part, because Durant’s age (36) would be so out of sync with their younger timeline," Iko and Amick wrote. "It’s worth noting that previous talks between the teams about Durant, team sources said, were initiated by the Suns."

The Rockets do have some veteran players on the roster, but the majority of their core is still in the early stages of their careers. This creates a major roadblock when it comes to trading for a guy like Durant, as he'll want to win right now. Houston's talent has some postseason experience now, but it's evident they are still far from competing for a championship. 

Houston should certainly be seeking win-now upgrades, but Durant shouldn't be on its radar. This core has set the Rockets up with a long runway to compete in the West. Though he's still effective at this stage of his career, they shouldn't mortgage that for a handful of seasons of KD.