The Rockets Are Playing Hardball This Offseason

The Houston Rockets have made it clear that they want to add Kevin Durant to the squad this offseason. However, they've also made it clear that they aren't willing to pay a steep price for the aging superstar. The Phoenix Suns hope the Rockets believe the addition of Durant is the final piece needed to become a championship-caliber team. Houston has the leverage for now, as the trade market for Durant hasn't been what they expected.

The Rockets haven't made anything easy for the Suns' front office as they've been navigating trade scenarios for Durant for a while. Reports say that Phoenix is disappointed with the level of interest for Durant and the amount of resources teams are willing to give up for him.

In the Rockets' case, they aren't willing to give up any of their assets or young players until they are very confident the team will be better as a result of any major trade.

Kevin Durant could be the missing piece the Rockets need to contend with some of the other superpowers in the Western Conference. He single-handedly increases the Rockets' three-point percentage, as he would likely take a significant portion of the attempts from deep-range

He hits difficult shots in the half-court setting as well, making him a dangerous player from anywhere on the court, which is something this year's Rockets were missing.

Although he could be exactly what the Rockets dreamed of when they imagined the ideal No. 1 scoring option for their team would be, Houston isn't willing to break the bank to bring in a veteran who might not have long left to play at the caliber the Rockets would need him playing at to contend.

General Manager Rafael Stone, Head Coach Ime Udoka, and the rest of the front office have publicly talked about their commitment to the Rockets project and their belief in the moves they've already made. Drafting players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson still have elements of their offensive games to fine-tune.

While the Rockets are still gauging what their course of action should be, other teams are sending their final bids to Phoenix for the final determination. Houston hopes the package plan they've sent to the Suns is enough to get the deal done. They might not have much longer to secure Kevin Durant on their team