A blockbuster trade like the Phoenix Suns swung to ship Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets will have ripple effects across the NBA for years to come.
On Sunday, June 22 — just hours before the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder met in the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history — the Suns agreed to trade Durant to Houston for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
Durant, 36, is a 15-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion and the 2013-14 Most Valuable Player. This presents a win-now move for Houston, which finished second in the Western Conference, only to get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Here are the winners and losers from the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets:
He gets to play for one of his preferred teams, returns to the state where he played college ball and Houston is a young team poised to compete for championships. The Rockets are coming off a 52-win season that placed them second in the Western Conference. They were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs, but, with center Alperen Şengün, forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson and guard Fred VanVleet, the Rockets have plenty of talent.
