Toronto Raptors’ Hopes for Kevin Durant End with Houston Rockets Trade

The Toronto Raptors will not be getting Kevin Durant.

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly agreed to trade the former MVP to the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster deal that sends Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks to Phoenix, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move ends weeks of speculation about Durant’s future and officially eliminates the Raptors from the conversation.

Toronto had been circling on the fringes of the Durant rumor mill for weeks. Multiple insiders reported the Raptors were monitoring the situation closely. Betting markets responded by vaulting Toronto up the odds board, putting them as high as third behind only Minnesota and Houston. At one point, oddsmakers gave the Raptors a 20% implied chance of landing Durant, higher than Miami and San Antonio.

But a deal never came close to materializing.

Financial constraints always made it complicated. Durant is set to earn $54.7 million next season. Matching that number likely required Jakob Poeltl’s $19.5 million contract. Multiple reports suggested Toronto refused to include Poeltl in any deal. A three-team scenario involving RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley was theoretically possible but complicated and never gained traction.

There were fit concerns as well. Durant reportedly preferred Houston, Miami, or San Antonio. Toronto was not on his list of preferred destinations. That lowered the odds of him signing an extension with the Raptors, making it harder to justify a win-now move for a player who turns 37 in September and could leave after one season.

What is surprising is how modest the return was. Houston kept its young core largely intact and parted with a package that included inconsistent scoring in Green, a defensive wing in Brooks, a mid-lottery pick in a draft, and five second-rounders.

For the Raptors, the focus now returns to the NBA Draft and broader offseason decisions. Toronto holds the No. 9 pick and is expected to be active on the trade market. Pressure remains on the front office to chart a clear path forward, but the Durant option is no longer on the table.

The dream is over.

It never felt especially likely, and now it is officially finished.

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