Rockets’ Kevin Durant extension decision is made if rumors are true

As the Houston Rockets prepare to enter the 2025-26 NBA season, a number of uncertainties, including how their offense will be shaken up following the devastating injury to Fred VanVleet, remain surrounding their roster.

Yet, one of their major question marks, which lies in their ongoing attempts to negotiate an extension with superstar acquisition Kevin Durant, could already be a done deal according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, who addressed the topic on the latest episode of his Insider Notebook for Bleacher Report.

While the organization will need to wait until they can sort out an extension for soon-to-be restricted free agent Tari Eason, extending Durant is a major priority this year, and, if Fischer's take is legitimate, Rockets fans can breathe a sigh of relief heading into the season.

The Kevin Durant extension will get done, it's just a matter of when

As Houston dealt Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the first-round draft pick that ultimately turned into Khaman Maluach to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Durant, the team knew that they were taking a gamble.

Although Durant is still putting up superstar numbers, having averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists last season, he only has one year left on the four-year, $194 million deal he originally signed with the Brooklyn Nets, leaving the Rockets, as of now, with a clearly-defined one year championship window.

Given VanVleet's injury, this window is now in serious peril, and extending Durant has become even more vital than before. According to Fischer, however, this should not be a major area of concern for fans of the team: "The only real business that's still up for grabs in Houston are the extensions for Tari and Eason and Kevin Durant. Kevin [Durant's extension] will get done at some point in time."

While there have been bubbling rumors and minor concerns that a team like the Miami Heat could be willing to grant Durant a massive contract in unrestricted free agency next offseason, hurting the Rockets' chances of bringing him back, it appears as though Durant is ready to play out the final years of his career in H-Town.

What remains a massive question mark, however, is the structure of the deal. This season, Houston is already hard-capped at the first apron and are attempting to navigate turbulent financial waters in their path to replacing VanVleet's production.

With extensions already having been granted to Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. and similar ones looming for Amen Thompson and Eason, the team will have so much money tied up in its young core that Durant will need to accept less than the max in order to make the finances work.

While it is implicit in Fischer's statement, given his certainty, that Durant will be willing to do so, it still remains to be seen ultimately what figure the two parties will settle on.