The Rockets' next move with Kevin Durant couldn't be more obvious

The Houston Rockets are likely to keep Kevin Durant in their uniform until he retires. They need to keep him, but at a discounted price.

That's easier said than done. Durant is nearing the end of his career. He surely wants to amass as much generational wealth as possible. Who can say whether he's open to shaving a bit of cash off his next deal?

Yet, that's what needs to happen. The Rockets haven't mortgaged their entire future to go all-in on a championship. They're adding Durant to a core group that still features plenty of young players.

As their rookie extensions come up, that stands to get complicated.

Rockets need to pay young stars

As it stands, Tari Eason is without his next deal. He has to be a priority for the Rockets. If they get into the business of letting excellent young players walk to accommodate Durant, fans will start to sour on the team's direction quickly.

That's to say nothing of Amen Thompson. He's likely to earn a max extension. There's no question that the Rockets will prioritize him. Arguably, Thompson (and Alperen Sengun) should be higher priorities than Durant. Unless Rafael Stone is cooking up a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the future still needs to be an essential component in the Rockets' decision-making.

That's what makes this different than Durant's previous situations.

The Rockets aren't all-in on Kevin Durant

In Phoenix, the Suns went all-in when they acquired Durant. Either they were going to win a title with him, Booker, and Bradley Beal, or they'd have to pivot. The same could have been said in Brooklyn. The Nets gave up everything to pair Durant and Kyrie Irving with James Harden.

There's a common thread here. Both of those teams sent the Rockets' assets in those all-in bids. Should the Rockets flip a surplus of assets for Antetokounmpo (or another star) to pair with Durant, they'll arguably be making the same mistake they've benefited from helping other teams make.

That said, this piece isn't about litigating a potential Antetokounmpo move. Let's assume the Rockets maintain the status quo. They acquired Durant to supplement their young core, not as part of a larger plan to pivot hard into win-now mode.

If that's the case, Durant's next deal has to be team-friendly. Nobody should be expecting a massive discount, but something in the neighbourhood of $50 million per season should be in play. That'll afford the Rockets some flexibility with Thompson and Eason, and still keep Durant compensated handsomely:

And ideally, in Houston for the rest of his career.