The Rockets are Durant s second choice! I wanted to join the Spurs, but the latter never made an offer

Recently, according to the sports media "Hoops Wire", Durant wanted to join the team most in the offseason was the Spurs, and the Rockets were just the second choice. However, the Spurs were not interested in Durant and they had never made an offer to the Suns.

Although Durant is 36 years old, he still performed well in the 2024-25 season, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting percentage of 52.7% and three-point shooting percentage of 43.0%, maintaining efficient scoring ability; he scored 25+ points in four consecutive games at the beginning of the season, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to reach this record. His career total score reached 30,571 points, ranking 8th in history; he averaged 25+ games for three consecutive seasons and had a shooting percentage of over 50%, setting a record in the NBA. Durant only won 3 wins and 17 losses in 20 games, highlighting his irreplaceable nature as the core.

As a team with young players as the core, if there is a veteran like Durant who has both strength and experience, the team's strength will definitely increase, but why are they not interested in Durant?

First of all, Durant will be 37 years old next season, and his personal data is excellent, but his team leads the team in the playoffs are average, with a salary of 51.4 million in the new season, and he will face a contract renewal after the season, which will make the team's salary tight.

Furthermore, the Spurs are centered on Vinbanyama, worried that Durant's joining will affect its growth space, and the existing lineup is low in dependence on Durant, so there is no need to destroy the balance of the lineup through trades. In addition to Vinbanyama, the team also has Castle, and can also get super geniuses like Hubble through drafts, and they can grow with Vinbanyama.

Also, other teams have set up trades for Durant for draft picks and young players, but the Spurs are unwilling to pay too much assets and prefer to use existing resources to prioritize other positions. In addition, Durant's injury and condition are all things that are worried about.

From a season alone, the Spurs may miss the best opportunity to strengthen, but even if they get Durant, the team's chances of winning the championship are not high, and the center that the team is more suitable for strengthening has not yet been settled. Therefore, in the long run, the Spurs have made the wisest decision.

Because the Spurs refused to trade to get Durant, the Rockets could successfully get this long-loved forward superstar. From now on, the Rockets don’t seem to have much chips, just Green and Dillon, but Green’s future still has unlimited possibilities. Now, under the Suns’ offensive tactics, they may be more like fish in water, and the future is worth looking forward to.

Also, the Rockets seem to have only given one first-round No. 10 pick, but this pick selected the first center of the 2025 draft. In the Suns, who lack high-quality centers, Maruac will become the key training target. Once they grow up, it is hard to say who will make money and lose money in the Rockets' deal, unless the Rockets can use Durant's last few years of their career to win the championship.

The Rockets' current lineup seems to be very strong, but they also have their own problems. Durant must not be injured. Once this is the case, Shin Kyung's already inefficient offensive shortcomings will be further amplified. Moreover, the team has almost no particularly outstanding teammates in the backcourt, which will become the biggest hidden danger of the Rockets in the new season.