Sep 22, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) poses for a picture during media day at Hilton Americas hotel. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) poses for a picture during media day at Hilton Americas hotel. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Kevin Durant enters his 20th season in the NBA in 2026-27, set to earn $43.9 million out of his two-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets. Since the 2027-28 season is a player option, Durant is eligible to sign another contract extension this summer.
The Rockets’ general manager, Rafael Stone, feels confident the two sides can reach an agreement, but wants to give Durant space to decide his own future out of respect.
Rafael Stone spoke at the Rockets’ media day press conference, where he was asked to evaluate Kevin Durant’s fit with the team as he nears a potential extension.
“Yeah, I think his fit’s been really good. I mean, you can ask him in a half hour or whatever, but, for sure, it feels like he’s really happy to be here. He’s been a good teammate. Ime knew him well. I didn’t know him at all. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him.”
“He’s actually like, uh, probably the easiest, or along with Yao maybe, the easiest guy of that stature that I’ve ever been around in the NBA. He just wants to hoop, which fits great with our culture. So, I really enjoyed it,” Stone explained.
“And, um, you know, at the end, you know, with a guy like that, you want to be respectful of his career and everything else. And so we’ll definitely sit down and talk at the end of this year, just like we did at the end of last year.”
“But I have every expectation that he’s going to be just as happy, if not happier, than he was this offseason. And, you know, the one thing he wanted to make very clear to me coming out of last year was just how much he’d enjoyed it and how much he wanted to be here. And, uh, it’s been mutual from our perspective,” Stone further added.
When asked about Stone’s comments and the prospects of his potential retirement in Houston, Kevin Durant gave a less decisive answer about his future than the GM seemed to.
“Yeah, I’m not thinking about anything like that. I’m enjoying coming in to work every day. It’s been fun going through the process with everybody, and as I said, I’m taking it a day at a time, man.”
“And that’s the most I can do. You know, who knows what’ll happen down the line or in the future, but right now I’m enjoying showing up for work,” Durant said.
The 37-year-old Kevin Durant ended the 2025-26 season averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. If he were on a higher-seeded team, Durant would have been in the MVP conversation with these stats.
Therefore, it is clear that Durant can still perform at a high caliber individually despite being a week away from age 38. He is far from considering retirement.
But his lack of affirmation of Stone’s feelings suggests there may be substance to rumors that Kevin Durant is widely considered the third most tradable asset this summer and could eventually ask for a trade as well.
The Rockets fans remain on the edge of their seats, hoping they don’t lose a superstar this year. All eyes are now on Kevin Durant as he enters the final guaranteed season of his contract with the Rockets. Do you think Kevin Durant will retire in Houston? Let us know in the comments.