The Houston Rockets Dropped Their Nuts On The Table And Have Won The Kevin Durant Sweepstakes

Alex Bierens de Haan. Getty Images.

And there it is! 

As if today wasn't already big enough with Game 7 of the NBA Finals on deck, we now have the biggest domino of the NBA offseason finally dropping. Nothing was going to happen before the KD deal, we all knew it was happening at some point, there were rumblings from reputable sources that something was going to happen relatively soon

and here we are. Kevin Durant is heading to the Houston Rockets. Holy shit.

As for the trade package, it's pricey, but something I think the Rockets didn't exactly get reckless with. Jalen Green is a nice young player, but as we just saw this past season, the Rockets' offense was extremely limited. It's why a lot of people thought they should have gone after Durant at the deadline in February, and after their playoff exit why a lot of people thought they should be in on the KD sweepstakes. They are arguably a "go to" scorer away from really making a jump, and KD is the very definition of a "go to" scorer. In fact, he's one of the best in the history of the NBA. There's nothing wrong with going for it when you have a good mix of a good team, good young talent and plenty of draft capita. That's when you should go for it in my opinion.

The #10 pick and 5 2nd round picks is mostly the price of doing business, and considering Desmond Bane just commanded 4 1st round picks and a swap, it's not like the Rockets way overpaid in terms of draft capital. Yes, losing two rotation players and picks is a hefty price, but they also get to add Kevin Durant, still have Amen, Jabari, Sengun, Eason, Whitmore etc. There's plenty of talent, especially two way talent, available only now they get to add one of the best scorers in NBA history to the mix. Not to mention the Ime/KD connection from their Nets days, and the Rockets probably feel pretty comfortable in their ability to extend him. You don't give up that collection of future assets for a 1 year rental, but then again, we did see something similar with Kawhi in 2019.

For the Suns, if you're starting a rebuild, at least you have some young pieces to build around. Players that can slide into your rotation right now, and a top 10 pick to hopefully bring in someone who can help you down the line. The value of 2nd round picks has never been higher than it is in this new CBA world, and considering you had to offload Durant, this isn't a terrible return. It's not like the entire league was banging in their door offering up the world. You take the best offer you can get and move on

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Another "almost" for Pat Riley, that's tough! 

I'm a little surprised KD was OK with staying out West, but at least he's on a contending team. This is why tonight is so big for OKC, you never know what can happen moving forward. There's no guarantee they run the West for years to come, and now the 2 seed just added a generational talent.

I'm sure KD will be trolled online for joining another top team, but whatever. I'm excited to see how he fits with the Rockets, because they need exactly what he provides. I'm a firm believer that things are better in the NBA when superstars like KD are on contending teams and are playing in high leverage situations, so I'm all for this move. Hopefully, everyone stays healthy and we get to see what it looks like, because on paper it's pretty serious.