The Rockets' Offense Will Look Much Different After Durant Trade

The Houston Rockets' front office is keeping the door open to a Kevin Durant trade from the Phoenix Suns. The team is standing firm on an offer including Jalen Green and the No. 10 pick in the draft as the starting point, but Houston isn't offering any of the other young core players on the roster. If the Rockets can wait out the Suns and force them to pull the trigger on a trade for less value than they hoped, Houston will have a certified No.1 option on offense to lean on in half-court settings.

A Durant trade would solve many of the issues Houston has on offense. The team struggled to create consistently in the half-court, relying on the two-man game between Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun in most games.

Green made his mark throughout the regular season and could pop off for a big night, and Dillon Brooks also had moments in Houston's half-court sets. However, they didn't produce enough in the postseason to beat the Golden State Warriors in the first round.

Part of Houston's struggles on the half-court were due to a lack of outside shooting and poor floor spacing. Sengun and Amen Thompson are the team's best players, and neither could be considered a proficient shooter. Trading for Durant would solve both issues, as the Rockets would bring in an elite and efficient shooter who can create for himself in half-court settings.

While in a vacuum, this sounds like the perfect situation, it changes how the current offense functions and what the hierarchy for shot volume will look like.

Much of the offense will likely be controlled by VanVleet and Sengun, as the pick-and-roll with those two players created much of the team's most efficient offense. Durant would likely sit in as a spot shooter during those sets, spacing the floor on the wings from three-point range.

Getting rid of Green in the trade would remove a layer from the offense as a secondary pick-and-roll ball handler with Sengun. Green has the speed to attack quickly on a screen to get to the rim or force a switch. When he's hot, he can also hit pull-up threes if a defender drops too low after being screened. Green was a much-improved passer this season as well, getting the ball to Sengun on the roll with much more accuracy.

Durant might not be as much of a pick-and-roll handler in his role. While he'll be expected to have some of those responsibilities, his main role is to create offense, hit tough shots, and open the floor for his teammates to find easier baskets. The secondary ball handler role would likely transfer to Thompson for most offensive sets.

While a Durant trade might give Houston the best chance of winning a title as soon as next season, there will be some slight differences in the offensive texture that could impact what the team can accomplish on that end.