Rockets hiring ex-Kevin Durant teammate amid trade rumors

The Houston Rockets may be taking another notable step towards luring Kevin Durant.

Houston has hired retired former NBA guard DJ Augustin, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported on Thursday. Augustin, a one-time lottery pick, will be joining the Rockets in a front office capacity, Iko adds.

Now 37 years old, Augustin played in the NBA as a point guard from 2008-22 for 11 different teams (before formally announcing his retirement as a player late last year). That included a brief stint with the Rockets from 2021-22.

Augustin also has some noteworthy history with the Phoenix Suns star forward Durant. He played in college with Durant at the University of Texas and was later teammates with Durant on the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2015-16 season as well.

The timing of the Augustin hire is certainly interesting for the Rockets. For one, they have been linked to a potential trade for the former MVP Durant for at least a year now. On top of that, a report broke earlier this week claiming that the Suns and the Rockets have had multiple recent conversations on the Durant front.

Houston just won 52 games this season (albeit with only a first-round playoff exit to the Golden State Warriors to show for it). In addition to being able to offer the opportunity for title contention, they also have the homecoming angle to appeal to the former Longhorn Durant with. Now they have a former Durant teammate in Augustin as a member of their front office as well.