The Houston Rockets reportedly aren’t expected to give Kevin Durant a two-year, $122 million maximum contract extension after trading for the future Hall of Famer this summer.
“The Rockets aren’t gonna go all-in, by all appearances and by what I’ve heard, they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on The Hoop Collective podcast.
“Now, doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but there’ve been rumblings KD’s not gonna push for the full max. I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max. I think the Rockets are — like it’s not ideal — but I don’t think they’d panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he’s on, just on the expiring.”
Rockets Acquired Kevin Durant In A Historic Seven-Team Trade
Houston acquired Durant from the Phoenix Suns as part of a historic seven-team trade on July 6, sending a package headlined by Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in exchange.
Durant, who turns 37 in September, has a $54.7 million cap hit for his 2025-26 campaign, the final season of a four-year deal worth $194 million that he signed as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
Although the Rockets are still able to extend Durant at any point and prevent him from hitting unrestricted free agency in 2026, they may not be willing to offer him a max contract.
The 36-year-old’s age should factor into Houston’s decision, and the looming possibility of jumping into the second apron will likely be considered as well.
If Durant receives a two-year extension with a first-year salary of $57.4 million and forward Tari Eason also signs a rookie extension, the Rockets will be a second-apron team during the 2026-27 season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Durant Wants To Retire With Houston
However, Houston could decide that a max contract is necessary in order to keep Durant happy.
After all, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed during a June episode of First Take that the top priority of Durant and the Rockets is for the 15-time All-Star to eventually retire with the team.
“The goal right now for Kevin Durant and the Rockets is for him to retire in Houston. They’re going to eventually this offseason discuss a contract extension, figure out where that lands,” Charania said. “But throughout the process, it became the finalists between Miami and Houston, but the Rockets really excited Kevin Durant.
“I’m told, players like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard. And Kevin Durant really views himself here. It’s a perfect fit in a lot of ways. We know, he’s a No.1 option, he can be a No. 1 option on any given night. The Rockets made this move, it’s a win-now trajectory type of move.”
Despite his age, Durant should enhance a young Rockets squad that earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference standings with a 52-30 record last season.
