The second blockbuster trade of the NBA offseason is in the books after the Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft and five second-round picks. The deal won’t become official until next month according to Shams Charania of ESPN.com, but the move lands Durant in one of his preferred landing spots.
The All-Star forward requested a trade to either the Rockets, Spurs and Heat according to multiple reports. Several other wildcard teams also registered interest in Durant including the Wolves, Clippers, Raptors, Nuggets and Cavaliers
Miami, a recent Celtics rival, was the final team in the running to land Durant alongside Houston, according to Charania. The Suns reportedly pushed for Kel’el Ware in a deal and also would not include a package featuring a long list of young Heat prospects including Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and more draft picks. One more big contract from Miami likely would have needed to be included in that deal to make the finances work, but the Heat balked at going all-in for the 36-year-old.
Instead, Durant stays put in the Western Conference, improving the Rockets standing alongside a long list of potential contenders next season such as the Thunder, Wolves, Nuggets and Warriors. Meanwhile, the Heat are left facing an offseason of uncertainty after getting an underwhelming return in a trade for Jimmy Butler earlier this year.
With limited trade assets to move and some pricey contracts on the roster (Terry Rozier, Andrew Wiggins), it’s unclear how aggressive the Heat will get this summer to try to put more talent around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Miami has been rumored as a potential landing spot for DeMar DeRozan, it’s difficult to see the aging veteran changing Miami’s trajectory. Instead, look destined for another mediocre year in the East coming off a 37-45 season and an ugly first round loss to the Cavaliers.
That’s all good news for a Celtics team that will be looking to retool around Jayson Tatum when he’s back at full strength for the 2026-27. Adding Durant and other talent to the Heat could have quickly turned them into a contender again in the East. Instead, the door is open for a host of teams such as the Pacers to make a return to the Finals next year. Whether the Celtics will be in that mix eventually depends on Tatum’s recovery, but the East continues to look like the far inferior conference with Durant staying out west.