Kevin Durant didn’t exactly pretend Jalen Brunson’s decision was an easy one.
Brunson took a team-friendly four-year, $156 million extension with the Knicks before the 2024-2025 season, leaving an additional $113 million on the table and giving New York more breathing room to build around him. That flexibility helped the Knicks bring in Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges, pieces that became part of the championship core alongside Brunson and Josh Hart when New York won its first NBA title in over five decades in June. Brunson was the NBA Finals MVP in that run.
Speaking to Boardroom, Durant was blunt about how he would have handled that kind of sacrifice.
"I don't think I would have been advised to do that. I would have gotten talked out of it.
I probably would have been like, 'All right, I'm cool with it.' I'd have sat down and talked to all my people like I usually do, Rich, all my friends.
Like, 'What? Are you serious?
Why do you need to take that risk when this dude's a billionaire?'"
Brunson had every reason to cash in after a career year. He averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists over 77 games before the extension, and at 29, he’s in the middle of what should be his prime. That’s what makes the move so striking: he gave up a massive chunk of money to help a franchise that has spent years trying to break through in the postseason.
Durant knows the business side from a different place in his career. He signed a two-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets last year and took a $30 million pay cut, but at 37, with more than $500 million in career earnings, his priorities sit in a different lane. He can choose the title chase over the biggest possible payday.
Durant put up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game over 78 games last season, and Houston has real momentum with Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson alongside him. The Rockets are aiming for a third straight 50-plus-win season, though Thompson’s upcoming contract talks in October could add another layer to the picture. Thompson also has the kind of upside that could land him his first All-Star nod in 2027.
For now, Durant’s message is clear: Brunson’s sacrifice is enormous, and it changed the Knicks’ path.
In Other News...
Rockets Lineup Is Taking Shape Around One Huge Fit Question
The Rockets projected starting five is coming into focus, and it has the kind of high-end talent that can make a team dangerous if the pieces click. Fred VanVleet would be back directing the offense, Jalen Thompson would handle the shooting guard spot, Kevin Durant gives Houston a proven scorer on the wing, Jabari Smith Jr. slots in at power forward, and Alperen Sengun anchors the middle as the young big man around whom the organization still sees a future franchise star taking shape.
What makes this lineup so interesting is not just the names, but the balance of styles Houston is trying to piece together. VanVleets return from injury changes the guard rotation, Durants presence raises the ceiling in a hurry, and Senguns growth gives the Rockets a long-term centerpiece inside. The unanswered question is how well all of that fits together once the season starts and the minutes, touches and responsibilities settle into place. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets May Still Regret Losing Dillon Brooks In The Durant Deal
Dillon Brooks left a real imprint in Phoenix in his first season after departing Houston, giving the Suns the kind of edge and two-way bite that helped push them beyond expectations. His defensive intensity and scoring touch made him a steady fit, and the payoff came quickly when Phoenix locked him in with a new contract extension after just one year.
For the Rockets, the deal that sent Brooks out the door in the Durant trade still carries a familiar sort of aftertaste, because his absence has left a noticeable gap in perimeter defense and veteran presence. Houston has tried to address that by bringing in Marcus Smart, but replacing Brooks is not as simple as swapping one experienced defender for another, especially when his energy and leadership were part of what made him so useful in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Rumors Could Suddenly Complicate The Rockets Long-Term Plan
The ripple effects of Miamis blockbuster move for Giannis Antetokounmpo have already reached the rest of the league, and Houston has reason to pay attention. The Heat are still being talked about as a team that could keep reshaping its roster during the season, with an insider pointing to another major swing as a possibility if Miami decides it wants even more star power around its new foundation.
For the Rockets, the real issue is less about what Miami wants than what it might be willing to give up to get there. Any deal of that caliber would almost certainly require serious assets and could involve multiple teams, which is the sort of trade machine scenario that can quietly alter the market for everyone else. If the Heat go hunting for another high-end name, Houstons long-term plan could feel a little less settled than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]