In a blockbuster deal, the Houston Rockets dealt Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks along with the 10th pick in the draft this summer to Phoenix for all-world forward Kevin Durant. It was the kind of deal that pushes the Rockets into win-now mode while still somehow maintaining a solid bunch of assets for the future. There are still stories to be written, but the move certainly feels like a fleecing of the Suns' new front office for one of the top 100 players of all time, even if he is about to be 37 years old.
It's a big day for Rockets fans as the NBA season officially winds to a close. Let's discuss some winners and losers.
WINNERS
Kevin Durant
Going from a losing team to a winning one is great. Doing so when you get to call the shots is better. Durant pulled off the deal he really wanted by forcing the hand of the Suns and getting a destination in the Rockets who are prepared to win right...NOW. The second seed in the Western Conference last year is poised with Durant to challenge OKC for a title and anyone else interested in testing them. Durant goes to a team whose needs perfectly match his skills. It's a win-win for Durant and the Rockets.
The Rockets Offense
The single biggest problem the Rockets had last season was their inability to hit threes and play well in the half court. Enter the literal perfect solution. Durant can still get his own shot, hit better than 40 percent of his threes in 2024 and gives the Rockets a go-to option in the half court. Add in his experience and it's a damn near perfect fit. This is a team that should now jump near the top 10 in offense to go with their already insanely good defense.
Cam Whitmore
If we were Whitmore, we'd be busting out the champagne right now. Two guys who were in his way for playing time are now gone and he gets to play alongside a guy who will dominate the attention of the opposing team. Whitmore has a chance to jump from a deep down the bench player to the rotation in one offseason. And there is good reason to think that may benefit the Rockets if he can continue to improve his shooting and become the explosive scorer off the bench they need.
Rafael Stone
Say what you will about the Rockets organization, but they have gone from three of the worst years in franchise history to the second seed in the West, acquiring a Hall of Fame talent without giving up the entire farm, and a boatload of future draft and player assets. It was a masterful maneuver by the Rockets general manager and the kind of deal that, if it ultimately works out, puts you on the map as one of the best front offices in basketball.
Jalen Green is now a Sun. Photo by Sean Thomas" class="uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle"> click to enlarge
Jalen Green is now a Sun.
Photo by Sean Thomas
LOSERS
The Suns' Future
It's hard to imagine being the Phoenix Suns and realizing you'll probably be awful the next few years, AND you don't have your draft picks. Somehow, the best deal they could get for Durant did not include the rights to what are likely to be lottery picks after this summer. Sure, they get a young and talented Green as well as the 10th pick in this draft (which is widely considered about four deep in terms of big time talent), but they didn't get a center, which they desperately needed, or any real improvement defensively. Tough to be a Phoenix fan right now.
Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks
We have a soft spot for Green and never fully understood the vitriol directed his way. And, as for Brooks, he has been the guy who brought the attitude the team really needed the last couple seasons. Now, they are stuck on a team going nowhere. Maybe Green can find a way to elevate his game on a team with Devin Booker and basically no one else. Perhaps Brooks can motivate a team bereft of talent. But, going from one of the best rising teams in the NBA to one going in the other direction has got to be depressing.
Jabari Smith, Jr.
Plusses and minuses for Smith here. He now gets to tutor under a guy who many believe was the model for his game in Durant. But, if he cannot play with Durant, who is remarkably similar and substantially better, he could be the next name on the block. If he meets the challenge and continues his improvement, this could be one of the longest and most interesting lineups in the NBA, but it is going to be a huge challenge for Smith and a ton of pressure on his young shoulders.
The Rockets Training Staff
Nothing, and we mean basically nothing in the universe, will be more critical to the Rockets gamble on Durant than his health. Since an Achilles tear in 2019, he has not been the same player and the fact he turns 37 before starting the season is a massive red flag. Keeping him healthy will be perhaps the most important task of the entire organization this season. A healthy Durant means the sky is the limit. Injured and this could team could backslide quickly.