Rockets' Addition of Kevin Durant Ranks as NBA's Fourth-Best Offseason Move

The Houston Rockets got back to their winning ways in 2024-25, making the playoffs and finishing with the second-best record in the Western Conference. The Rockets were essentially guaranteed to make the postseason for practically a decade, as they reached the playoffs more than any franchise from 2012-2020, thanks in large part to superstar James Harden.

Harden won three consecutive scoring titles and was a five-time MVP finalist, leading those Rockets to at least 50 wins in five of his first six seasons in Houston. 

After trading Harden, the Rockets had been in hot pursuit of a superstar for the last two seasons and had been linked to the likes of Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant. This offseason, the Rockets nabbed their guy in Durant, cashing in on one of the league's greatest players ever for a relatively low cost of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in this year's draft.

The move was ranked by SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell as the fourth-best move of the NBA's offseason.

"Durant lands on a Houston team that desperately needed more shooting and scoring punch, and it could be enough to push them into the championship contention tier. Houston retained all its best young players while adding KD, and they have the depth and athleticism to keep him in a role that works for a 37-year-old. 

Houston will let their young defensive menaces do the heavy lifting on that end with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason cause havoc, while Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and maybe Reed Sheppard help spoon-feed Durant scoring opportunities. This feels like a perfect marriage of player and team fit, and if Houston’s young core can take another step forward, the Rockets really might be the Thunder’s biggest championship challenger."

The complete list is below:

1. The Hawks' draft trade back with the Pelicans
2. Orlando's Desmond Bane Trade
3. The Nuggets' Cam Johnson Trade
4. The Rockets' Durant Trade
5. Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren Extension
6. The Clippers' Depth Moves