Kevin Durant didn’t hide how he felt when Russell Westbrook announced he was done.
The Rockets star, who spent years alongside Westbrook in Oklahoma City, said the retirement news hit him with a little sadness. The two helped push the Thunder close to an NBA championship, and Durant made it clear he still believes Westbrook had more left in the tank.
“I was a little sad. I thought Russ still had 5 or 6 more years left.
He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively. Congrats to him on an iconic career,” Durant said.
Westbrook’s decision caught plenty of people off guard. After spending the summer searching for his next chance, he never found interest from a contending team and then made the sudden call to step away from the NBA.
“Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over," Westbrook posted.
Even now, some around the league aren’t convinced the story is finished. Former Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said he thinks Westbrook could still return.
“This man is supposed to be in the league for another 3-4 years at least. I'd like to see him with the Heat.
Brodie got a lot left in him. I just saw his little brother yesterday Ray.
He might be back," Randolph said.
Westbrook leaves behind a career built on relentless production and a reputation as a triple-double machine, a player who made an impact wherever he landed. Durant’s reaction showed that, even with the ups and downs between them after Durant left Oklahoma City, the respect and connection between the two still runs deep.
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Rockets Face One Big Question Around Kevin Durants Supporting Cast
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The bigger issue is how all of that comes together once the stakes rise and the supporting cast has to do more than just flash in spurts. Stone has been clear that the organization is trying to build in a way that fits its current personnel, but the real test will be whether the Rockets can keep enough balance around Durant to make a deep playoff run. For now, the optimism is easy to understand. The hard part is still figuring out how far this group can go when the season starts to ask more of everyone around its biggest name. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Gives The Rockets A Delicate Problem To Solve
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For the Rockets, the delicate part is figuring out how to balance long-term caution with what Durant still brings every night. His role and minutes are going to matter all season, especially with a player of his stature and mileage, and the team now has to sort through how to preserve him without stripping away the rhythm that has defined so much of his game. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Should Avoid This Veteran Guard Gamble At Any Cost
A speculative trade framework has been floating around that would send Jrue Holiday to Houston from Portland, with the Rockets giving up Jabari Smith Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic and a future first-round pick. It is strictly an exercise, not a reported negotiation, but it does capture the kind of veteran-name temptation that can pop up when a team starts to believe it is closer to contention than it was a year ago.
For Houston, the bigger issue is not whether Holiday would bring the kind of defense and playoff experience any contender covets, but whether the move actually fits the roster the Rockets are trying to build. The salary structure is already tight, the pieces on hand have value for different reasons, and the article argues that the concept does not improve the team enough to justify the cost, which is why this is the sort of gamble the Rockets would be wise to leave alone. [Read more 🡒]