Kevin Durant sacrifices $30 million with $90 million extension
Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets to have agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension just before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Durant’s max contract extension was worth about $120 million, so this deal represents a sacrifice of about $30 million. The 15-time All-Star is now under a three-year, $144.7 million contract thanks to this extension, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. He will make $54.7 million this season.
The Rockets acquired Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns this offseason which eventually included seven teams. Houston traded Jaylen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA draft (the Suns selected Khaman Malauch) and multiple second-round picks to get Durant.
It was always believed that Durant would sign an extension with the Rockets, but there was a question about the size of the job. While Durant is still an elite player, he just turned 37 and has dealt with numerous injury problems in recent years, contributing to the disappointment in Phoenix. With Houston building an impressive young core, including players like Amen Thompson and Tarry Eason seeking contract extensions themselves, KD is taking a pay cut to facilitate those moves.
What’s next for Kevin Durant, Rockets?
The Rockets were the second seed in the Western Conference last season before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Houston knew its offense needed a boost to become a legitimate championship contender, and Durant had long been rumored before the trade finally happened.
While Fred VanVleet tore his ACL In the offseason that was a failure for the Rockets, they still have plans to compete in a loaded Western Conference. A healthy Durant would go a long way toward making that happen. The 37-year-old averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from 3-point range for the Suns last season.
Jason Patt is the Editorial Director at ClutchPoints. The Illinois alumnus specializes in covering the NBA, NFL and MLB, and has previous op-eds at SB Nation, FanSided and Forbes.
2025-10-19 13:16:00
