Kevin Durant’s motivation should excite Rockets fans

When the Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant over the summer, fans were thrilled, but they also knew the reality of the situation—Durant turned 37 at the end of September. He signed a two-year, $90 million extension in October, meaning that the final season on his deal is 2027-28, a $46 million player option. Will KD be done after that?

Brian Windhorst said on his podcast, "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective," that Durant is "heavily motivated" to play on the United States' Olympic team in 2028. Tim Bontemps chimed in and said that as long as KD doesn't deal with a significant injury, he could "easily" play a few more seasons. He added that Durant will be "able to shoot the ball as long as he wants to play."

Durant will be 39 (a few weeks away from 40) when the Olympics open in Los Angeles in 2028. LeBron James was 39 last summer at the Olympics. Yes, he's LeBron, but Kevin Durant is Kevin Durant. Both still play at a high level.

Who knows how things will look during the 2028 offseason, but just because KD's contract runs through the 2027-28 season doesn't mean it will be his last in Houston. His desire to play in the Olympics again shows that he doesn't want the 2027-28 season to be his last playing basketball, period.

Kevin Durant is "motivated" to play in the 2028 Olympics

It's still early in the KD-Houston era, but the results have been even better than anticipated. The Rockets needed a true No. 1 option, and they found one of the best in Durant. They're 9-3, third in the West, and they've done so without starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Durant is averaging a team-high 25.9 points per game, ahead of Alperen Şengün, who is averaging a career-high 23 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 44.7% from three. His play is one of the many benefits of having KD around.

The opportunity to join a top, young team was a key factor in Durant's decision to go to Houston (the Rockets wouldn't have traded for him without assurance). Based on how his past few seasons went in Phoenix, it seems like playing in Houston is a breath of fresh air for him. You can tell by how he acts on and off the court.

Although there will come a time when Durant hangs it up, it doesn't seem like it'll be anytime soon, at least not when his current contract runs out. He has his sights set on 2028 in Los Angeles, but there is something else he wants to accomplish in the meantime, and it does have to do with adding more hardware to his collection.