Rockets' Kevin Durant gets real on retirement plans

After months of speculation, Kevin Durant finally got a move away from the Phoenix Suns this summer. He was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he will now team up with Ime Udoka and step into a leading role in the hunt for a championship. 

Durant, 37, is still one of the premier offensive talents in the NBA. His scoring will be a massive boost for a Rockets team that finished last season ranked 12th in the league for offensive rating. Of course, there will be an adjustment period, both for Durant and the rest of the roster, as Udoka figures out how to get the best from his ever-improving rotation.

Kevin Durant is hoping to put down roots in Houston

The Rockets are the fifth team of Durant's career, excluding the Seattle SuperSonics, which moved to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. He won two championships during his tenure with the Golden State Warriors, but has fallen short with both the Suns and Brooklyn Nets.

Now, with his career winding down, Durant is hoping that Houston is the final stop in a Hall of Fame-worthy career. During a recent interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the superstar forward shared his hopes of building something special and sustainable with the Rockets. 

“I’m looking to be here as long as I can, play my last years of my career,” Durant told Mannix. “That’s the intent. I know, I said that about Phoenix, too, but that’s the intent. I would love to do that. I mean, I’m 37 years old and I’m going on 19 years in the league. I want to be solidified in a spot and build with a team with a group of guys that’s going to be around for a while. So hopefully this is it.”

Houston has been aggressive in building out a contending roster since Udoka took the hot seat. Durant is expected to be the final piece of the puzzle. Udoka has some stellar young talents at his disposal in Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, while Durant, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith and the now-injured Fred VanVleet bring veteran experience and know-how. 

Kevin Durant has a few more years left in the NBA 

When trading for Durant, the Rockets would undoubtedly have been aware that he was in the final year of his contract. It's fair to assume that a verbal commitment to a contract extension has been reached, and the announcement of that deal is a formality. 

Judging by Durant's comments to Mannix, he's open to spending a few more years with the franchise before bowing out of the league. He's in the perfect spot for that to happen. Because, as his skill set slowly declines, Sengun and Thompson will be ascending. There should be a seamless transition of power, allowing the Rockets to sustain success in the coming years.

Durant has been chasing another championship since leaving the Warriors. The Rockets look like his best chance of achieving that goal. And, if things go well, it could be more than one ring being added to his collection over the coming years. And if not, he will still go down as one of the best to ever lace them up on the hardwood.