Following his move to the Houston Rockets, speculation has grown that 36-year-old Kevin Durant may retire with the team.
Subsequently, NBA Insider Tim MacMahon claimed that the Rockets may not come to terms with Durant on an extension this summer as they do not plan to offer him a max extension just yet, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
He said they will be comfortable seeing Kevin Durant play on the expiring contract he is on. However, now, according to sources, Durant's willingness to take a haircut on the deal has been revealed.
According to Kurt Huelin, a source told NBC Sports that Durant might be willing to accept a considerably lower offer than a max extension.
"Durant is in the final year of his current contract at $54.7 million. The Rockets can offer him a max two-year, $122.1 million extension (no team can offer Durant more than two years because of the over-38 rule)."
"The contract has to be short in this case, but what is a fair number for the future Hall of Famer? One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max, but still $50 million a season."
The Rockets have two solid young pieces, Tari Eason (this season) and Amen Thompson (next season), who are in line for a contract extension. Since these two players have been a part of the young core that the Rockets built for their long-term future, they should prioritize the salary cap space for them instead of Durant.
If they give Durant his extension this offseason, then Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are both at risk of losing out on money due to the salary cap restrictions of the league. Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the last season and led the league in isolation efficiency. Even at age 36, he is dominating like he's in the prime of his career.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Rockets seem to be planning a major move in the 2027-28 season, as both Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. saw a dip in their contract extensions for that season. If the Rockets now extend Durant for two more seasons, that 2027-28 plan could potentially be at risk.
Just like the Lakers, the Rockets seem to be preparing themselves for the 2027 offseason. Therefore, it would be wise to wait for the extension instead of hurrying to force a deal that could put their future at risk.
The Rockets have until the beginning of the 2025-26 season to decide whether to extend Durant or save the decision for the end of the season.
