Rockets’ ugly ending hides the obvious truth about Kevin Durant trade

Kevin Durant has officially finished his first season with the Houston Rockets. The success of his season depends on who you ask.

On one hand, Durant led Houston in scoring and gave the Rockets invaluable shot creation, especially with starting point guard Fred VanVleet missing the entire season with a knee injury. On the other hand, the Rockets failed to build on last year’s success and suffered another disappointing first-round exit.

When a team significantly alters its core to add a veteran Hall of Fame talent, a first-round exit is not the outcome anyone is hoping for. That does not mean the trade was a failure, though. In fact, when looking back at what Houston actually gave up, the Durant deal still looks like a clear win for the Rockets.

Houston did not give up many significant assets

To get Durant, Houston parted with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, which was used on Khaman Maluach, and five second-round picks. It is a high number of second-round picks, but teams rarely find major contributors in the second round. Maluach may still turn into a very good player, but he struggled significantly as a rookie.

Green had worn out his welcome in Houston after being selected with the second overall pick in 2021. Many of the efficiency and shot selection issues that frustrated Rockets fans were still present with Green playing in Phoenix. He actually had the lowest true shooting percentage of his career with the Suns at 51.6%, far below league average.

Brooks ended up being the most painful piece Houston lost. He averaged a career high in points, helped keep Phoenix afloat while Devin Booker dealt with injuries, and even earned some borderline All-Star consideration. The Suns are already looking to sign him to a long-term extension, which shows how valuable he became after leaving Houston.

Even with Brooks’ career year, he did not come close to matching Durant’s production. Houston was also able to get off Green’s fairly lucrative contract. Losing the draft capital will slightly limit Houston’s flexibility, but even still, they have one of the largest collections of draft assets in the league.

Durant is still an elite player

Durant is without a doubt the best player in this deal. At 37 years old, he averaged 26.0 points per game with a 64.1% true shooting percentage. He is still an elite scorer with elite efficiency.

He also fits all of Houston’s major needs. He provides top-of-the-line three-point shooting and shot creation. The only major knock on Durant’s season was that he was unable to play in most of the Rockets’ playoff games due to injuries.

However, he played 77 games and finished second in the NBA in total minutes played during the regular season. That raises fair questions about whether Houston leaned too heavily on him before the playoffs.

Next season, Houston will get back Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. The young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. should all see natural growth. The Rockets should look at the Durant trade as an absolute win. One first-round playoff exit does not make the trade a failure.

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