Rockets Rumors: Rockets broadcaster calls NBA star "a beautiful fit"

The Houston Rockets have been the talk of the town in NBA circles.

OK, fine. The Thunder and Pacers are dominating the discourse. Rightly so - they're in the Finals. Otherwise, the Rockets are one of the most discussed teams in the league. Whenever a big-name trade target is said to be on the market, the Rockets are allegedly in the mix.

Kevin Durant is no exception. He's been frequently cited as a potential acquisition for the Rockets. A lot of people would love to see him in Rockets red:

Color commentator Ryan Hollins is in that camp.

Rockets broadcaster praises Durant's fit

That's what Hollins told RG.org in a recent interview.

“KD would fit in beautifully, and I believe he already has a relationship with Ime from their time in Brooklyn. There’s a high level of respect for him from our guys.”

-Ryan Hollins to RG.org

Hollins is not wrong.

Against the Warriors in the first round of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs, the Rockets struggled with half-court offense. The Warriors threw the kitchen sink at Jalen Green. They guarded Alperen Sengun in single coverage, but when the defender is Draymond Green, that's a moot point. Amen Thompson found his rhythm as the series wore on, but without a jump shot, it took too long.

Durant would readily solve that issue. He's one of the best half-court scorers in NBA history. His powers have hardly waned. In 2024-25, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 64.2%.

Is trading for him a foolproof plan?

Rockets need to think about Durant carefully

As with any trade, it's all about the cost. For his part, Hollins understands that.

What do you give up? KD is that talented. And to his credit, he gets that. He wants to be fair, to both teams and organizations. That says a lot about him.”

-Ryan Hollins to RG.org

The Rockets would benefit tremendously from adding Durant in the short term. Nobody should be dismissive of that fact. The short term matters to the Rockets - they're a win-now team.

Yet, they're also a young one. The Rockets can't sell that advantage short. They're winning games, but they've got an incredible collection of future-focused assets. Selling those assets for Durant changes their outlook.

Much has been made of the leverage Houston has over Phoenix. They have their first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029. Sending the Suns one or two of those picks back instead of young players could make a deal palpable for both sides.

Time will tell. The Rockets are in a good position with or without Durant. That said, their prospects in 2025-26 would improve dramatically by adding him:

And it would make Ryan Hollins' job a little more fun as well.