Kevin Durant may be 38, but the league still sees him as a player who can tilt a season.
The Houston Rockets forward averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season, enough to earn an All-NBA Second Team selection. And while age always hangs over a player at this stage, Durant is still expected to deliver like a franchise centerpiece heading into the upcoming season.
CBS Sports put that idea into numbers on Tuesday, ranking the top NBA players ahead of the 2026-2027 season and slotting Durant at No. 15. Cameron Salerno wrote:
“Durant appeared in just one playoff game in the Rockets' loss to the Lakers in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. It was a cruel development for Durant after he missed just four games in the regular season total. The 78 games Durant played were the most since his final season with the Warriors in 2018-19… Even at 38, Durant remains one of the most impactful players in the league.”
That standing comes with the usual Durant baggage. He is still an elite scorer, but the knock on him has long been the lack of team success since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019. Even so, the situation in Houston looks far more encouraging than some of his recent stops.
The Rockets finished 52-30 and are expected to be better when the roster gets back to full strength. They still have not broken through the first round since Ime Udoka took over as head coach in 2023, but that remains a realistic next step.
There are reasons to think Durant’s load could lighten. Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun both have room to climb in 2027, and Fred VanVleet’s return should take some of the leadership burden off Durant. Jabari Smith Jr. continues to provide steady production at power forward, while Reed Sheppard is another young player giving the Rockets signs of real developmental progress.
That supporting cast should make life easier on Durant than it was in his first season in Houston.
One more storyline will be worth watching over the next several months: Durant’s player option for the 2027-2028 season. There is some uncertainty about his long-term future with the Rockets, but Houston’s front office should be reluctant to entertain trade offers for him unless things go badly.
For now, the bigger point is clear. Durant is still one of the NBA’s premier offensive threats, and he has not shown signs of slowing down. For a Rockets team trying to turn promise into something bigger, that matters.
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Fred VanVleet Just Brought Back What The Rockets Offense Needed
Fred VanVleet finally got back on the floor in Houstons preseason opener in Macao, and the Rockets saw almost immediately why his return matters. After spending more than a year away from NBA action, he gave the offense the kind of structure it was often missing last season, blending steady ball movement with the sort of perimeter threat that can change how a defense has to guard the team.
He finished with 17 points and 7 assists in 24 minutes, a tidy reminder of the shot-making and playmaking Houston has been waiting to reclaim. The bigger takeaway was less about the preseason box score and more about fit, because VanVleets outside shooting and decision-making should help give the Rockets a more reliable offensive shape as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Could Force The Rockets Into Their Biggest Timeline Choice
The Rockets have spent the last few seasons trying to build a roster that can grow together, which is why Kevin Durants name hanging over their future matters so much. Houston is already juggling the natural tension between veterans and younger players, and any major move from GM Rafael Stone would say a lot about whether the franchise wants to keep that patient course or accelerate it before the roster is fully ready.
Durant represents the kind of swing that can change a teams direction in a hurry, but it would also force Houston to weigh whether the long view is still the right one. The franchise has lived through a seismic star trade before with James Harden, and the next big decision could again be less about talent alone than about timing, flexibility and how much of the future the Rockets are willing to spend now. [Read more 🡒]