Rockets reportedly acquire Kevin Durant: fantasy impact
Hours before the final game of the 2024-25 season, the Houston Rockets reportedly made a move that will significantly impact the NBA landscape. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the tenth overall pick in the 2025 draft and five future second-round picks.
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns are trading two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/EwrbA2ES9O
Due to Green's contract, the deal will not become official until July 6, according to Spotrac's Keith Smith.
Along with Miami and San Antonio, Houston was on Durant's reported list of preferred destinations. According to Charania, the Suns were engaged in talks with the Rockets and Heat before taking the package offered by the former. The Rockets add one of the NBA's all-time scoring greats after finishing second in the Western Conference during the regular season, while the Suns add draft capital but have a logjam to address on the perimeter. Let's look at the potential fantasy impact of this deal.
Houston receives:
Kevin Durant
Durant is ranked eighth on the NBA's all-time scoring list, so there should be little to no doubt of what he'll provide Houston on that end of the floor. In 62 appearances this season, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.2 blocks and 2.6 three-pointers, shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 43.0 percent from three and 83.9 percent from the foul line. For a team with offensive efficiency issues in Houston, Durant has the potential to be just what the doctor ordered.
However, his two full seasons in Phoenix were the last in which he played at least 60 games since playing in 78 games for the Warriors during the 2018-19 campaign. And with Durant set to turn 37 in late September, durability could be a concern. That said, Durant's résumé makes him worth the risk for a team that was middle of the pack in points per game and offensive rating during the regular season. The Rockets' efficiency was boosted by the team's ability to hit the offensive glass; Houston ranked 27th in two-point field goal percentage and 21st in three-point and overall field goal percentage.
While he and Green did not play the same position, Houston's decision to move two perimeter players in this trade likely makes it more vital that they re-sign Fred VanVleet. The Rockets hold a team option worth $44.9 million on VanVleet for 2025-26, and they have until June 29 to make a decision. It has been reported that both sides are interested in maintaining the partnership; the question is what the financial terms will look like, especially if Houston declines the option in hopes of negotiating a deal for a lower annual salary.
The departures of Green and Brooks should free up additional opportunities for Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, which would be music to the ears of fantasy managers. Thompson was excellent as a starter last season, eventually pushing Jabari Smith Jr. to the bench, while Eason has been valuable when healthy enough to play. Hopefully, the left leg injury that has limited him during his first two seasons will not be an issue for Eason in 2025-26. If fully healthy, he can be a solid contributor in standard fantasy leagues.
Phoenix receives:
Jalen Green
Dillon Brooks
2025 first-round pick (10th overall)
Five future second-round picks
After hiring Jordan Ott to be the team's head coach, new Suns general manager Brian Gregory has made his first major decision regarding the roster. Once the Suns attempted to move Durant ahead of the February trade deadline, it was clear that his long-term future was not in Phoenix. Some may wonder if they could have gotten more in return for Durant, especially considering what Phoenix gave up to acquire him from the Nets a few years ago.
Phoenix did add two starters in Green and Brooks, but this causes a logjam on the perimeter. Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause, remains on the roster, as does assumed cornerstone Devin Booker. A positive regarding Green is his durability, which has been an issue for Beal and Booker in recent years. Green has not missed a game since the 2022-23 season, and he played 76 during that campaign. In 2024-25, he accounted for 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.9 three-pointers per game, shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from the foul line.
Green also shot a career-best 35.4 percent from three, but that percentage is not particularly impressive, especially when considering what the Suns lost in Durant. He should be a key cog for the Suns in 2025-26, but being part of a rotation that includes Beal and Booker may not be the best for Green's fantasy value, which has been low in category leagues. He should remain a superior option in points leagues, especially since he's been able to stay healthy.
As for Brooks, the veteran wing shot a career-best 39.7 percent from three in his lone season with the Rockets. Appearing in 75 games, he averaged 14.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the foul line. Brooks was a player who proved more valuable to his team than to fantasy managers, which is unsurprising since that was also the case for him in Memphis. That should not change in Phoenix, which was among the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season.
Just as crucial for the Suns as the players was the draft capital acquired in Sunday's deal, most notably the tenth overall pick in next week's draft. In the trades made to acquire Durant and Beal, Phoenix gave up a lot of draft capital. While Sunday's total haul does not close the gap completely, regaining the 2025 first-round pick they surrendered in the Durant deal was a positive step. Of course, Phoenix will not have total control of its first-round pick again until 2032, so Gregory has his work cut out for himself.
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