Phoenix Trades Durant to Houston: Here’s Who Won and Who Lost

Losers include the Heat, who need veteran talent after trading away Butler, and the Spurs, who could have acquired a mentor for Wembanyama.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) bobbles the ball as he spins to the basket in front of Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks during a game in Houston on Feb. 12, 2025. Michael Wyke/AP Photo

Some of the pregame excitement ahead of the NBA championship June 22 had nothing to do with the Pacers and Thunder.

A pair of Western Conference teams stole the spotlight with a blockbuster trade involving an all-time great: Kevin Durant.

ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that the Phoenix Suns had apparently traded Durant to the Houston Rockets for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the No. 10 pick in the draft, and five second-round picks.

It’s a massive shakeup. Here’s a look at who won and who lost.

Winners

Kevin Durant

At 37, Durant can make the most of the final stretch of his career with a team in win-now mode. The Rockets won 52 games last season and earned the No. 2 seed before getting bounced in the first round by the Golden State Warriors.

Houston didn’t give up much in the trade, so Durant will have a strong team around him. That also means Durant won’t have to shoulder a load as big as he did in Phoenix or in prior stops such as the Brooklyn Nets, Warriors, and Thunder.

Durant still has plenty left. Last season he averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. His long-range shooting is likewise still a threat, as shown by his .430 mark from three-point land.

Rockets

Houston adds Durant and hardly subtracts anything from a young and talented roster. Amen Thompson has emerged as a strong go-to guard, which nixes the loss of Green to the Suns.

Durant’s defensive presence will help offset Houston’s giving up Brooks. The Rockets had one of the top six defenses overall last season with 109.8 points allowed.

Losers

Suns

The Suns didn’t get a position of need, center, and Phoenix overloaded at guard with the addition of Green. Phoenix already has strong guard play with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, both of whom average more than 30 minutes  per game.

Green has averaged 32.7 minutes per game for his career, so the Suns will need to find a way to fit him in. Green has potential with a career average of 20.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in four seasons.

While the Suns will get the No. 10 pick, a first-round frontcourt talent such as Maryland standout Derik Queen may not resolve the Suns’ immediate center issues. In addition, second round picks are more hit-and-miss than first rounders, so Phoenix probably won’t see dividends on the draft capital anytime soon.

Heat

ESPN reported that the Miami Heat was in the running for Durant, but now the Heat will have to look elsewhere for veteran talent.

Miami parted ways with veteran star forward Jimmy Butler at midseason via a trade with the Warriors. The Heat sneaked into the playoffs despite a losing record but bowed out in the first round.

Will Heat president Pat Riley be criticized for missing out on acquiring an all-time great late in his career? That depends on how well the Heat and Rockets do next season.

Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs also had a chance at Durant, at least in terms of his interest.

But with six straight losing seasons, the Spurs are more than one player away from win-now mode. San Antonio’s biggest loss may be the chance to help star big man Victor Wembanyama develop and learn from a future Hall of Famer.

Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves were also linked to Durant, and the Wolves clearly needed another star after a 4–1 Western Conference finals loss for a second straight year. Minnesota isn’t likely to find another player close to Durant’s caliber.