Rockets reportedly not chasing Kevin Durant despite Suns’ trade flexibility, per NBA insider

Heading into the offseason, the expectation is that Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns will part ways. While nothing has been finalized yet, according to a report from Shams Charania last month, the Suns front office will work with Durant to find a suitable landing spot this summer.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who spoke on Tuesday's "NBA Today," the Houston Rockets won't be among the teams pursuing Durant.

"I know everybody's going to link Kevin Durant," Windhorst said. "But it would be a pretty big departure for the Rockets to go after a guy in his mid to late 30s when their whole team is in their 20s. Not impossible but that would be a high bar."

Windhorst explained that the upcoming NBA draft lottery will be a major deciding factor in Houston's offseason plans.

The news comes on the heels of the Rockets being eliminated from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. While the team finished the regular season in second place in a competitive Western Conference, they appeared to be outmanned in the playoffs when Jalen Green underperformed.

Given that, fans had been speculating that the team could look to acquire Durant from the Suns.

Phoenix Suns reportedly approached the Houston Rockets regarding a Kevin Durant trade before the deadline

As it turns out, this isn't the first time the Houston Rockets have distanced themselves from rumors of a potential Kevin Durant acquisition.

Before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns reportedly had the framework of a deal in place that would send Durant back to Golden State. The future Hall of Famer reportedly didn't want the trade, indicating that although he'd be open to an offseason deal, he wasn't interested in relocating midway through the season.

As it turned out, Golden State wasn't the only team that Phoenix spoke with around that time. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Suns also tried to engage with the Rockets regarding a trade for KD before the deadline.

Given that the Rockets have the Suns' first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 and a potential pick swap in 2029, the belief was that Phoenix would look to reacquire their picks.

Based on Brian Windhorst's latest report, however, we may see the Rockets look to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo or another high-profile player this offseason instead.

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