Kevin Durant is entering the final year of a four-year, $194 million contract he signed with the Brooklyn Nets back in 2022. Since inking that deal, Durant has been traded from Brooklyn to the Phoenix Suns, and then from Phoenix to the Houston Rockets.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon joined the Hoop Collective podcast on Friday and revealed that once the initial Nets deal expires, the Rockets will be in no rush to offer the then-37-year-old Durant another max deal—which comes out to a two-year, $122 million extension.
“The Rockets aren’t gonna go all-in, by all appearances and by what I’ve heard, they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” MacMahon said. “Now, doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but there’ve been rumblings KD’s not gonna push for the full max. I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max. I think the Rockets are — like it’s not ideal — but I don’t think they’d panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he’s on, just on the expiring.”
After going all-in by trading for Durant, the Rockets must be smart with their cap. Eventually, rising superstar Amen Thompson will likely receive a max extension of his own. Reed Sheppard, the team’s third-overall pick in 2024, could also command a high salary if he’s able to replicate the success he enjoyed at Kentucky upon getting more opportunities with the ball in his hands.
Assuming the Rockets don’t offer Durant the max—and regardless of his performance in the 2025-26 season, it doesn’t make much sense to—this will be another example of Houston being quite cautious with its cap room.
Well, the Durant-Houston negotiations essentially have no impact on the Nets, because there’s no chance a reunion is in the works.
However, the Rockets do own swap rights to Brooklyn’s pick in 2027—and Durant remaining in southeast Texas will directly affect how that shapes out. Assuming the Nets are still rebuilding in two years, it’s safe to assume Houston would exercise that right.
If Durant isn’t still there for whatever reason, and the Rockets are no longer obvious title contenders, the Nets could still get a pick in the late-teens/early 20s if they lose a lottery choice to the swap rights.
While this will take place well into the future, the foundation Houston has in place now may ultimately determine where Brooklyn is picking come 2027.
