The Rockets’ offseason plans could still have another major twist, and this one would bring Kevin Durant back together with Kyrie Irving.
Houston is being linked to a potential move for Irving, with Sports Illustrated’s Eric Jay Santos suggesting Fred VanVleet and draft capital could be enough to get it done. Santos made clear that Durant, Thompson and Sengun should stay off the table.
“In terms of what the Rockets might offer in exchange for Irving, Durant, Thompson, and Sengun should all remain the clear untouchables. A package centered around VanVleet would be the most ideal, and the inclusion of draft capital should not feel like too significant of a hit for a Rockets team with a strong crop of young talent,” Santos wrote.
That idea comes after a summer full of movement around the league and plenty of Durant noise of its own. At one point, Durant was even tied to Detroit in trade chatter. Brett Siegel reported that the Pistons were trying to find a route to land him, though nothing ever came together.
“Two league sources with knowledge of the situation told ClutchPoints that the Pistons were set on figuring out a path to land Durant, but nothing ever materialized in this three-team idea, nor did anything appear possible in brief discussions with only Houston. Perhaps the greatest detail to emerge from all of these rumors is that Durant has interest in playing alongside Pistons star Cade Cunningham, sources said," NBA insider BrettSiegel wrote.
If Houston does decide to chase Irving, there is already reporting suggesting Dallas would be open to letting him explore a trade if he wants out. Marc Spears said the situation could be handled without things getting messy.
“Masai also has a really good relationship as you mentioned with Kyrie Irving. I think it's the kind of relationship where if Kyrie says, hey, Masai, like, this isn't for me, I think they could work together to get something done.
I don't think would be something ugly. I think there would be interest in Kyrie if he's as healthy as he looks,” Spears said.
A Durant-Irving reunion would obviously grab attention, especially after the two spent time together with the Brooklyn Nets and openly discussed whether that run should have ended with a title. Irving is also in the final year of his $118 million contract with the Mavericks, which gives Houston a clear reason to keep monitoring the situation.
For the Rockets, the appeal is straightforward: keep the core intact, add another proven scorer, and give Durant even more help on a team trying to make a real championship push. Irving would bring another layer to the offense, and that’s exactly the kind of swing Houston appears willing to consider.
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For Houston fans, it is mostly background noise attached to a game on the schedule, but it has stirred the kind of chatter that tends to follow Irving wherever he goes. His future has been a topic of speculation, and any reunion talk with Durant tends to get louder fast, even as Irvings current focus remains on Dallas and the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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For Houston, that has created an unexpected watch item around DeAaron Fox, whose fit with the Rockets would be obvious on paper and sudden in practice. A deal of this size would ripple well beyond one roster swap, reshaping the guard picture in San Antonio and putting Houston in the middle of a conversation it did not seem to be having just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Faces Growing Pressure In Houston For One Big Reason
Kevin Durant arrived in Houston with the kind of rsum that usually quiets a room, not complicates it, and on paper he has delivered like the centerpiece the Rockets hoped for. He led the team last season with 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while earning All-NBA Second Team honors, a reminder that his production is still elite even as the franchise tries to sort out its long-term direction around him.
Still, Durants presence has come with a heavier conversation attached, one that has lingered through the offseason as trade speculation keeps circling. Houston is expected to keep him at least through next summer, but the larger question is how much of the Rockets leadership load he should be asked to carry once the roster is back to full strength, especially with Fred VanVleets return giving the team another experienced voice in the mix. [Read more 🡒]