NBA insider Brian Windhorst has revealed that the current strategy of the Houston Rockets suggests Kevin Durant may not be given a “giant” contract by his new team.
Durant has played for some of the biggest teams in the NBA. He had success during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, before he won two rings with the Golden State Warriors, and after spells with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, he was recently traded to the Houston Rockets.
Currently, Durant is on the maximum veteran extension he signed with the Nets, beginning in 2022, but he’s in the final year of that contract, with unrestricted free agency coming.
With the Rockets just having traded for Durant, it’s likely that they will offer him his next contract, but insider Windhorst has questioned whether he’ll be given a massive sum on that deal, given the Rockets’ current strategy.
He said on ESPN: “Watch how the way the Rockets have handled their business this summer. They have handled their business to maximize cap space in 2027. So you look at Fred VanVleet’s contract, he has a player option but he’s up in 2027. He is off the books in 2027. Dorian Finney-Smith non-guaranteed in 2027.
“Durant, if he does an extension, he can sign for two years, and that second year will be 2027-2028, but the Rockets’ actions indicate they are protecting space in 2027.
“I don’t know, keep that in mind as you think about what they’re going to do with Durant. I don’t think you should assume that Durant’s going to have a giant number on the plate for 2027-2028.”
Durant’s current contract is a four-year, $194.2million one, and he’s earning $54.7million in the final season of it.
After 18 years in the league, it’s the largest contract he’s had to this point in his career, but it seems the Rockets might not be open to giving him an even larger one, if Windhorst’s intuition is correct.
Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, and it might depend on how well Durant plays in his first season in Houston.
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