The Houston Rockets’ rise dims Suns’ hopes of recouping lost draft picks.
With the postseason tipping off this Saturday, the Phoenix Suns are watching closely. Not just as spectators, but as potential stakeholders. The fate of a few select teams may shape their own future. How those contenders perform could play a pivotal role in whether any of them decide to pursue a trade for 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant.
One of those teams is the Houston Rockets, a franchise whose rise is deeply intertwined with the Suns’ past, present, and possibly, their future. The Rockets currently hold Phoenix’s 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, acquired through the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Kevin Durant trade.
After finishing last season at an even 41–41, Houston took a significant leap forward this year, closing the 2024–25 campaign with a 52–30 record and locking up the second seed in the Western Conference. Their postseason journey begins Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors, a series that may carry implications far beyond the box score.
Even with the possibility of an early postseason exit, the Houston Rockets do not appear to be a franchise pursuing Kevin Durant, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Their accelerated development and commitment to a young core suggest a long-term vision that doesn’t align with acquiring a veteran superstar on the back half of his career.
All season long on @TheSteinLine, we’ve been reporting that the Rockets’ next significant trade would not happen in-season (as proved true) and is unlikely to target Kevin Durant because the future Hall of Famer is not on the same timeline as Houston’s promising young core.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 18, 2025
I know the idea of trading Kevin Durant back to Houston — and recouping those precious picks the Suns gave up two years ago — has been a hot topic among the fanbase. On the surface, it feels like a golden opportunity to right some wrongs. But it doesn’t make much sense for a team like Houston. They’re just beginning their postseason journey with a promising young core, and swinging for the fences by adding a 36-year-old Durant doesn’t exactly fit the trajectory they’ve committed to.
I mean, who would do that? Who would sacrifice a homegrown, ascending core for a shot at an aging elite scorer?
Oh.
So go ahead and cross Houston off the list. That’s one destination you can rule out. And that’s exactly the kind of thing we’ll be monitoring this postseason. Because when it comes to the possibility of trading Kevin Durant, the equation is simple: the more viable destinations, the better the return.
A bidding war? That would be uncharted territory for Phoenix. And it would be a welcome change. Historically, when the Suns have sent assets out, it’s usually after they’ve already lost their shine, when the value’s cratered and the best coming back is a Greg Monroe type and some couch cushion change.
This time, things could be different. Or at least, they need to be.
So as the playoffs unfold, our eyes turn to a handful of teams with the talent, assets, and maybe even the motivation to make a move: the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New York Knicks, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Denver Nuggets.
We’ll watch to see if any of them fall just short. If they look like a Kevin Durant away from true contention. And if they do? That’s when the real intrigue begins. That’s when we start to imagine how a deal might actually come together. One that brings Durant to their city, and brings real, meaningful return back to Phoenix.
Let the games begin. Let the stakes rise. Let’s see who blinks first.
Oh, and we know how it’s all going to end, don’t we?
My nightmare… pic.twitter.com/qaqVbn0FTq
— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) April 16, 2025
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