Hoops Rumors

Although there were expectations that Kevin Durant would sign an extension shortly after being traded, that still hasn’t happened and there are no indications that he and the Rockets are close to a new deal. Nearly two months after the trade with Phoenix was first announced, Durant remains on a path toward free agency next summer with a $54.7MM expiring contract.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently suggested that Houston isn’t likely to offer Durant a full max deal, and that Durant and his representatives may not push for it. He added that the Rockets won’t panic if Durant begins the season without a new agreement in place.

Amid that background, Keith Smith of Spotrac speculates on what Durant’s next contract might look like. With an expiring deal in place, he’ll be eligible for a two-year extension through June 30 and can make up to $120,463,616 ($57,915,200 in 2026/27 and $62,548,416 in 2027/28). That figure would start at 35% of the cap.

If Durant lets his contract expire, he would be eligible for a three-year max deal with a total value of $187,645,248 that avoids the complications of the Over-38 rule. Another possibility is a one-plus-one contract that would result in the same figures as the extension.

With Durant believed to be more focused on winning than maximizing his earnings, Smith believes a two-year, $100MM compromise is realistic. Durant would make $50MM per season and would likely receive a player option that gives him the freedom to reconsider his situation in the summer of 2027.

There’s more on the Rockets:

• In an interview with Turkish reporter Socrates Dergi (YouTube link), Alperen Sengun shares his reaction to the Durant trade and his first message to his new teammate (hat tip to Fadeaway World). “I gave him two weeks to settle in first, then I messaged him,” Sengun said. “I told him, ‘Welcome to the team, I can’t wait to play with you. We’re gonna have a great year.’ He replied immediately, saying, ‘We’re going to do great stuff this year.'” Sengun also recalled a conversation he had with Durant during a recent Rockets-Suns game: “Last season, I told him one game, ‘Don’t come to double me, let me play one on one.’ He said, ‘No way, you’re an All-Star now. You’re no longer going to play one-on-one. Get used to it.’”
• In the same interview, Sengun talked about the loss of Jalen Green, who was sent to Phoenix in the Durant deal. Sengun and Green were both drafted in 2021 as the first pieces of Houston’s rebuilding project. “Jalen was like a brother to me,” he said. “We learned the NBA together. I didn’t speak any English when I first arrived. We learned everything from them.” 
• The Rockets have the most favorable schedule in the West and the third-easiest in the league, according to Tankathon. While things could change depending on the results of the NBA Cup tournament, they currently have just three games against Western powers Oklahoma City, Denver, Minnesota and both L.A. teams.