Rockets' Kevin Durant Ranked as Second-Best Small Forward

Kevin Durant is one of the game's greatest players ever. He'll tell you that himself. Just check his activity on Twitter. Or X, if you want to call it that. I'm still adjusting.

Just last month, Durant ranked as the third-best small forward ever , behind LeBron James and Larry Bird.

The biggest surprise has been his longevity, as he just wrapped up his 17th season, posting averages of 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 52.7 percent from the field, 43 percent from long-range, 83.9 percent from deep, and 64.2 percent true shooting.

The future Hall of Famer is still playing at an extremely high level. 

According to HoopsHype , the Houston Rockets forward ranks as the second-best active small forward, behind only the aforementioned James.

The writer's reasoning is below:

"Last season, Durant was one of just six players to put up a 26/6/4 stat line, and did so while shooting an astronomical 43 percent from three. According to VORP and BPM, Durant was roughly a Top 30 player in the league. 

Can he still be the best player on a championship team? 

We’re about to find out, as Durant joins a strong Houston Rockets team this season replete with players that have either championship experience like Fred VanVleet, or have loads of promise like Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. 

Joining a well-rounded team with toughness and skill on both ends of the floor, if Durant is still an All-NBA-level player and a ceiling raiser for a team, he should be able to prove it in 2025-26, as he won’t be forced to endure as much of the two-way load as he did with the Phoenix Suns."

Durant is coming off his first missed postseason trip since the 2019-20 season. If you recall, he missed that season due to rehabilitation, as he was recovering from a tor n Achilles, which he suffered in the Golden State Warriors' 2019 NBA Finals series against the Toronto Raptors. 

The Rockets have long coveted a surefire go-to guy in crunch-time, as they've failed to land one since James Harden requested out in 2021.

The front office will need to get him to agree to a new contract, as his current deal expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. The latest buzz is that Durant is comfortable with taking far less than the maximum.

Durant is eligible for a deal with an annual number of $60 million, over two years, due to his age.