Durant Takes Less Money to Stay with the Rockets
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Kevin Durant is staying in Houston. The 15-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Houston Rockets, keeping him with the team through the 2027–28 season. The deal is reportedly worth $90 million, with the second year being a player option, meaning Durant can choose whether to stay for the second year or not.
What makes this deal stand out is that Durant turned down even more money to make it happen. He could have signed for $122 million but decided to take $30 million less. This move gives the Rockets more flexibility to sign other players and strengthen their roster. For a superstar known for his scoring and competitiveness, it shows that Durant’s focus is not just on money but on helping the team win. Rockets forward Amen Thompson summed it up best when he called Durant a “generous guy.”
Durant’s extension does not come as a surprise. Ever since the Rockets traded him last summer, the plan always seemed to be long-term. Head coach Ime Udoka said the team never saw Durant as a short-term rental. “Good to get to a point where everybody’s happy and hopefully he finishes his career here,” Udoka said.
The Rockets have come a long way in the past few years. Before Udoka took over, they were one of the worst teams in the league, going 59–177 over three seasons. Since Udoka’s arrival, however, Houston has turned things around, going 93–71 in two years. Last season, they finished 52–30 and earned the Number Two seed in the Western Conference, marking their first playoff appearance in five years. Durant played a major role in that success, providing leadership and experience to a young roster that includes players like Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.
Durant spoke highly of the team’s progress during media day last month. He said that seeing how quickly the Rockets rebuilt after the James Harden-Chris Paul era made him want to be part of it. “It just felt organic and natural coming into the gym and being a Houston Rocket for the first time,” Durant said.
Durant’s numbers remain impressive even at this stage of his career. Last season, he averaged 26.6 points and seven rebounds per game. Over his 17-year career, he has averaged 27.2 points and seven rebounds. He currently ranks eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 30,571 points. He is only 848 points behind Wilt Chamberlain for seventh place and could realistically move up to fifth, passing both Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Jordan this season.
Durant has had one of the most accomplished careers in NBA history. He is a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and a four-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA. He is also one of only seven players to be selected to 15 or more All-Star Games. Over the years, he has played for five different NBA teams: the Seattle SuperSonics (who became the Oklahoma City Thunder), the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets, the Phoenix Suns, and now the Houston Rockets.
Signing with Houston brought Durant back to Texas, where his basketball journey first took off. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns and was named the national college player of the year before being drafted second overall in 2007. Now, nearly two decades later, he is back in the Lone Star State with a chance to finish his career where it all started.
There is also talk that this extension could allow Durant to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which would be his fifth Olympic appearance. That would make his basketball resume even more historic.
As the Rockets prepare to open the new season against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, one thing is clear: Kevin Durant believes in what Houston is building.
His choice to take less money shows he wants to win, mentor young players, and leave a lasting legacy. For both Durant and the Rockets, this deal feels like the start of something special.