After speculation, rumors, and public negotiating, the big day is finally here. Kevin Durant has been traded to the Houston Rockets.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Phoenix forward has been traded for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks.
It’s a massive shift for a young Houston team that will now acquire the 36-year-old to anchor their starting lineup.
On the other side of the deal, the Rockets shipped out several key pieces that they relied on during their 52-win season.
So what will their starting lineup look like entering next season?
Rockets projected starting lineup with Kevin Durant
Houston typically rolled out a lineup of Green, Fred VanVleet, Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun. Now they have two gaps to fill in their starting lineup, one assuredly will be taken by Durant.
Rockets starting lineup:
- PG: Fred VanVleet
- SG: Amen Thompson
- SF: Kevin Durant
- PF: Jabari Smith Jr.
- C: Alperen Sengun
This five could be a treacherous sight for teams across the NBA.
At 6-foot-7, Thompson would be the shortest player in the lineup outside of VanVleet. After a breakout season Thompson would provide length and scoring in the backcourt. He got experience guarding Stephen Curry in last year’s playoffs and will see more of those high-profile assignments in the future.
Jabari Smith Jr. would receive a well-deserved promotion from the bench to the starting unit. The 2022 third overall pick has shown proficiency on defense and from beyond the arc. Standing at 6-foot-10 he will help All-Star big man Alperen Sengun crash the boards.
Durant takes his traditional spot at the three where he can score and distribute from the wing. KD averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for Phoenix last season. He will also benefit from having great defenders like Thompson and Smith Jr. beside him.
A new era for Kevin Durant 🚀
The Rockets will be KD’s fifth team 🍿 (via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/zxiHcYsMMF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 22, 2025
VanVleet and Sengun’s roles will remain the same. VanVleet will be more of a distributor than Green was and Sengun can work in the pick-and-roll with Durant.
It’s a hefty cost for Houston to trade for a player in the twilight of his career, but this projected starting lineup shows a fearsome five that can tango in the Western Conference.
MORE: Kevin Durant gets $124 million contract update after blockbuster Rockets trade
