NBA insider throws cold water on Rockets fans' dreams

The Houston Rockets are a difficult team to make predictions about.

They head into a battle with the Warriors in the first round as the second seed. Somehow, they're still treated as underdogs. Yet, it's not only their short-term picture that's difficult to sketch. Nobody knows what this team will do moving forward, either.

Will they make a blockbuster trade this summer? Will their decisions be contingent on their playoff performance? Is Kevin Durant Houston-bound?

One insider is skeptical about that last claim.

Durant to Rockets might be a pipe dream

That would be Marc Stein.

"(The Rockets are) unlikely to target Kevin Durant because the future Hall of Famer is not on the same timeline as Houston's promising young core"

-Marc Stein, The Stein Line

That's interesting, and it's a well-documented observation. Acquiring Durant ahead of his age-37 season is not a foolproof plan.

Still, there's some appeal. The Rockets have struggled with shot creation all year long. Durant remains one of the most reliable shot creators in the NBA. So here's the question:

Should Rockets fans celebrate Stein's reporting, or should they be mourning?

Rockets have tough decision to make

It depends.

Sure, part of the appeal of Durant for the Rockets is their on-court need for a player with his skill set. The Rockets have an excellent passing duo in Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. If they added a (preferably tall) perimeter shot creator to that duo, they'd have a well-rounded offensive attack.

If they had the opportunity to draft a player like Durant, they'd jump on it (ignoring the fact that a "player like Durant" doesn't come around very often). If their upcoming lottery pick leaps, they could take a look at Ace Bailey. The point here is that if it wasn't going to cost assets, a Durant-like player on their timeline would be a perfect addition to this team.

Durant will cost assets. Still, another reason why he's an appealing target is that he shouldn't be as costly as an average player of his caliber. The Rockets own the Suns' 2025, 2027, and 2029 picks. Those assets should hold more value to the Suns than they do for anybody else.

As for the timeline component, that's a bit more subjective. What constitutes an NBA team's "timeline?". If the Rockets think they have a title window with the right additions, and that Durant is the right addition, does the age gap between him and their core qualify as a difference in timeline?

There is more to consider. There's an undeniable appeal in keeping this group together to let them develop chemistry together. The Rockets could send Reed Sheppard to the Suns only to watch him become a star player.

All told, it won't be an easy decision. Still, there's no reason for Rockets fans to shed tears over Stein's reporting. Trading for Durant isn't an obviously correct move in the first place, and besides, things change:

Who knows what the Rockets might do?