The Houston Rockets have spent the last stretch building one of the league’s most intriguing young groups, with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard all part of the picture. Sengun and Thompson are both viewed as having All-Star potential for 2027, and the rest of the young talent has continued to trend upward as well.
And yet, the team’s biggest name right now is still Kevin Durant.
Durant is 38, but he remains productive at a level most players can only chase. Last season, he put up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, which was good enough to land him on the All-NBA Second Team.
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone made it clear during a recent appearance on The Hoop Collective that he believes Durant has taken to his surroundings in Houston.
"As best I can tell, you can ask him, but he really enjoys it. Every day is not a perfect day, and Kevin is not somebody who is chipper and upbeat every minute of every day.
That's just not his personality. But I think he's really enjoyed being around the young guys.
And it does, at least for me, as I get older, having youthful energy is great. I'm an old curmudgeon.
Ime's an old curmudgeon. Kevin's definitely not old, but he has his curmudgeon moments."
Houston’s first season with Durant ended at 52-30 in the regular season, followed by a first-round playoff exit. Durant, a 16-time All-Star, missed most of the series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Looking ahead, the Rockets should have more support around him. Fred VanVleet is back in the starting lineup, while Sengun and Thompson are still rising. Sheppard adds another layer of upside, even if VanVleet’s presence could limit the minutes that help his development.
There is plenty for Houston and Durant to like entering Opening Day, but the uncertainty around his future hasn’t gone away. Durant is still part of trade speculation, and his player option for the 2027-2028 season gives the Rockets added incentive to push for a deep playoff run.
The biggest issue is simple: the promise has not yet turned into postseason progress. Since Ime Udoka became the Rockets’ head coach in 2023, the team has not gotten past the first round.
That means Durant’s long-term future in Houston may end up tied to what the Rockets do this season. And given how long he has stayed effective, there’s every reason to expect him to keep playing for years to come.
In Other News...
Rockets Face One Big Question Around Kevin Durants Supporting Cast
Rafael Stone sounded encouraged about where the Rockets are headed, especially with Kevin Durant now in the mix and a young core still forming around him. The GM pointed to the value of that youth, the importance of health when the games matter most, and a roster-building approach that leans into the energy and development already in place. Houstons preseason debut offered an early snapshot of how it might look, with Tari Eason, Fred VanVleet, Alperen Sengun and Durant all making their presence felt in a win over Dallas.
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
Kevin Durant is in his 20th NBA season now, and the age checkpoint alone would normally invite a conversation about easing a veteran into a lighter workload. Instead, the early read from his career numbers is the opposite: even after recently turning 38, Durant still looks like one of the leagues steadiest offensive players, the kind whose production has held up so well that Houston has a real decision to make about how carefully to manage him.
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 🡒]
Kevin Durant Had An Emotional Reaction To Russell Westbrooks Exit
Russell Westbrooks announcement that his playing career is over landed with plenty of reaction around the league, but Kevin Durants response stood out for how personal it felt. Durant said he was sad to hear the news and spoke glowingly about what Westbrook has meant as a player, a fitting reflection from someone who spent years alongside him and saw firsthand how electric he could be when he was at his best.
Westbrooks exit also leaves open the broader conversation around his place in the game and whether this is truly the final chapter. Zach Randolph suggested Westbrook might still find a way back, and the emotions around the announcement showed how much respect he still commands from former teammates and peers. For Houston fans who watched Durants career unfold from afar and now know how closely these stars have been tied together, it was another reminder of how quickly the league can turn a familiar face into a memory. [Read more 🡒]