AUSTIN, Texas – Former Texas basketball great Kevin Durant is set to return to the Lone Star State, as the 36-year-old has been traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, as first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
The move not only brings Durant back to the State of Texas, it also reunites him with former Longhorn teammate D.J. Augustin and ex-Longhorn basketball great Royal Ivey.
Ivey serves as an assistant coach for the team, while Augustin recently retired and had joined the team's front office.
Durant and Augustin teamed up as true freshmen during the 2006-07 season, leading Texas to a 25-10 record and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Rick Barnes and the Horns advanced to the second round of the tournament, falling to a Southern California team which featured future NBA players Nick Young and Taj Gibson.
Durant's true freshman season continues to be the gold standard for a first-year player in Longhorns' history. In his one and only season on the Forty Acres, Durant appeared in all 35 contests, averaging 25.8 points per game, never failing to reach double-digits in his Longhorn career and scoring at least 20 points in 32 contests.
Only Tre Johnson's season last year came close to matching Durant, as Johnson averaged 19.9 points per game and scored in double figures in 31 of his 33 career games.
Former Texas head coach Rodney Terry, who coached Johnson last season and was an assistant coach under Barnes when Durant donned the burnt orange and white, spoke about comparisons between the two players.
"He's a guy that we think fits our culture at a very high level, in terms of what he brings to the table, a kid that wants to get better every day," Terry said at SEC Media Days prior to the start of last season.
"I got a chance to coach Kevin Durant for one year (2006-07) at Texas, and he and Kevin had a lot have a lot of things that kind of come from the same cloth. In terms of incredible work ethic. We have to literally push him out of the gym. He's in the gym 24/7, much like Kevin was, he's a super competitive kid, you put the scoreboard on, and he's competing at another level in terms of really wanting to win. So, he's a guy that we're counting on to have a big year and do big things in Austin."
Over his storied professional career, Durant has been arguably one of the most decorated former Texas athletes in history.
Durant has been named an NBA All-Star 15 times, earned First-Team All-NBA six times, was named the 2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, is a four-time Olympian having won Gold for Team USA on each occasion and has won NBA Most Valuable Player along with being a part of two NBA Championship teams with the Golden State Warriors.
Barring another trade, Durant, who will turn 37 at the start of the next NBA season, will likely finish his playing career in the Lone Star State.