The Houston Rockets and star forward Kevin Durant have agreed to a two-year, $90 million extension, the team announced Sunday.
Durant’s new deal keeps him under contract with the Rockets through the 2027-28 season and opens the possibility of him ending his illustrious career in Houston. The 15-time All-Star will be 39 years old in the final year of this contract.
The deal comes in roughly $30 million short of the maximum extension Durant was eligible to sign with the Rockets, league sources told The Athletic, which should provide some financial flexibility for a Houston team hoping to keep its young core intact around the future Hall of Famer.
Durant, who was on the last season of his current deal before agreeing to the extension, eliminated any questions about his long-term future on Sept. 29, when he said at Rockets media day, “I do see myself signing an extension (with Houston).”
“Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise, from where it was right after that Chris Paul-James Harden era to seeing (when Rockets coach) Ime (Udoka) got here and how he turned it around so fast,” Durant continued. “It just felt organic and natural coming into the gym and being a Houston Rocket for the first time.”
The Rockets acquired Durant in July after completing a blockbuster deal that sent up-and-coming shooting guard Jalen Green, veteran forward Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (becoming center Khaman Maluach) to the Phoenix Suns.
Durant’s tumultuous 2 1/2-year stint with the Suns came to an end this summer after a shockingly bad 2024-25 season that ended with the team securing only 36 wins and failing to reach the Play-In Tournament — despite having one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA.
Despite his team’s struggles, Durant put up some of the most efficient numbers of his career last season, averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43 percent on 3-pointers. He enters this season — his 18th in the NBA — needing 849 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) for seventh place on the league’s all-time scoring list. Dirk Nowitzki (sixth, 31,560) and Michael Jordan (fifth, 32,292) would be next in reach.
You know who he is. And he’s here. pic.twitter.com/OFUkTq9DI7
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) September 25, 2025
Durant will be at the forefront of a Rockets team considered to be a legitimate title contender in 2025-26 after winning 52 games last season and getting bounced in the first round following a seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets are hopeful Durant’s presence will provide the veteran leadership and late-game shot making this young group needs to take the next step in its development.
“The consistent scoring. At times, we had our lulls last year and the previous year. I think he’s a consistent, very efficient scorer,” Udoka said. “The points he averages, he kind of does that in his sleep. Another area where we struggled at times was to close games. He’s one of the ultimate closers in the game. Those two aspects alone obviously improve our consistency across the board.”
In the short term, Durant will likely have to take on a heavier offensive burden than expected with this year’s Rockets after Fred VanVleet tore his right ACL. Recent top-five picks Amen Thompson (No. 4 pick in 2023) and Reed Sheppard (No. 3 in 2024) will be asked to step up in VanVleet’s absence, but the Rockets have said it will require a team effort to replace the veteran guard’s shot creation.
“I can play with a point guard or without a point guard,” Durant said. “I think it’s best for our team to have guys who can handle the ball, make smart plays, make efficient plays. They can be aggressive out top with the ball. It might not necessarily be a guy in a point guard’s body, but somebody who can make smart plays out top with the ball and control the game. I think we’ll all have to figure it out and do it by committee.”
Why $90 million?
For Durant, taking less than the max was simple: At 37, he wants to win, and leaving money on the table enables the Rockets a little more financial flexibility, which will be needed during his extension seasons. (It also helps when you already have more than $500 million in career earnings pocketed before signing this latest extension.)
Entering this season, Houston was about $1.25 million under the first apron but has multiple high-ticket items looming. Center Alperen Şengün’s five-year, $185 million extension kicks in this season.
Thompson, a key part of the rotation going forward, will be eligible for a rookie contract extension after this season. The Rockets are expected to reach an agreement with forward Tari Eason on a rookie contract extension before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.
And VanVleet, who’s likely to miss this season, has a $25 million player option for the 2026-27 season — the second year of a two-year, $50 million extension he signed this summer — that, obviously, he is now almost certain to exercise. — David Aldridge, senior NBA columnist
First Appeared on
Source link
