Kevin Durant’s shocking move to the Houston Rockets in a massive 7-team trade, replacing Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, marks a bold new chapter for both KD and the franchise—bringing elite scoring and veteran leadership to a young, defensively stacked team now eyeing a championship, but raising questions about fit, health, and whether the aging superstar can still carry in crunch time.

Kevin Durant, entering his 37th year, has officially been traded to the Houston Rockets as part of an expansive seven‑team deal that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns.

While the upcoming NBA season is still months away, the ramifications of this blockbuster trade are already reshaping expectations in Houston and across the league.

Durant remains one of the NBA’s premier isolation scorers. Among players who logged at least 60 games with two or more isolation possessions per contest last season, he ranked first in scoring per possession (1.16 PPP) with a 56% field goal rate.

In crunch time situations, Durant shot 48% and was part of the Suns’ 63% win rate in clutch games he appeared in.

In contrast, Jalen Green—marked by poor shot selection, inconsistent defense, and questionable playmaking—represented a downgrade in both efficiency and reliability.

At his age and veteran stage, Durant is expected to play power forward rather than wing; Houston’s starting five—featuring VanVleet and Alperen Şengün at backcourt and center, plus rookie wings Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr.—provides stellar size and defensive stability.

Although losing “3-and-D” stalwart Dillon Brooks is a blow, Durant’s presence around the rim and role flexibility can offset that loss under coach Ime Udoka’s system.

With four starters over seven feet tall and a clutch legend leading the offense, a championship is no longer out of reach—though this isn’t a video game and success still requires cohesion.

Statistically speaking, Durant and Green shared nearly identical drive rates last season (~10.5 per game), but their finishing profiles diverged sharply.

Green drove frequently (25% of attempts within 3 feet) at 65% efficiency, while Durant had a far more selective approach—79% efficiency but only 11% of his attempts.

Houston’s playbook is expected to leverage more drives from VanVleet, Amen, or Şengün, while Durant focuses on mid‑range pull‑ups, post-ups, and spot‑up threes.

Durant now joins a team built very differently than his past squads in Brooklyn or Phoenix, which featured elite shooters like Harden, Kyrie, Booker, Beal, and Grayson Allen. Those floor-spacers created space for Durant in contested situations.

The last time Durant played on a team with poor spacing was Oklahoma City in 2016—ironically that roster shot better from deep than Houston did last year. Whether that context hampers Durant’s output remains to be seen.

Durant’s durability is also a concern; in the past five seasons he has exceeded 65 games just once.

His back pain, knee soreness, and occasional wrist tingling have slowed him before—but this year he’ll be supported by a pass-first floor general in VanVleet and a scrappy center in Şengün who can handle the physical load. Udoka’s conservative offensive design may allow Durant to conserve energy and deliver when it counts most.

While the Suns leaned heavily on Durant to carry the offensive load, the Rockets are building around him differently. Houston’s new core boasts defensive consistency, high-|3-point| spacing from role shooters, and a fresh injection of youthful athleticism.

Durant may no longer be the fulcrum every single play, but a mentored veteran presence who steps in and dominates in late-game situations.

Preseason chemistry, player buy‑in to Udoka’s system, and how quickly Şengün, VanVleet, Thompson, and Smith integrate will determine if this blockbuster trade becomes a championship-caliber upgrade—or a cautionary tale about relying too heavily on aging greatness in a younger, faster NBA era.

Fans and pundits alike will be watching every minute from training camp through the playoffs to see if this iteration of Durant brings ultimate success—or if Houston’s modern-nostalgia experiment echoes their last brush with dominance.