Rockets, Durant Remain Without Extension as Season Nears
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Nearly two months after acquiring Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns, the Houston Rockets have yet to reach a contract extension with the 14-time All-Star, leaving him on course for unrestricted free agency in July 2026.
Durant’s Contract Options
Durant, 36, is entering the final season of a four-year deal that will pay him $54.7 million in 2025-26. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Houston is not expected to offer a full maximum extension, and neither Durant nor his representatives are currently pressing for one. The club is also said to be comfortable if the forward opens the season without a new agreement.
Spotrac’s Keith Smith outlined several scenarios:
- A two-year extension, signable through June 30, worth up to $120,463,616 ($57,915,200 in 2026-27 and $62,548,416 in 2027-28), starting at 35 percent of the salary cap.
- If the existing contract expires, a three-year maximum valued at $187,645,248 that circumvents the NBA’s Over-38 rule.
- A one-plus-one contract that would mirror the salaries available in an immediate two-year extension.
Given Durant’s reported priority on winning over maximizing salary, Smith views a two-year, $100 million arrangement—with $50 million annually and a player option for 2027—as a plausible middle ground.
Sengun on Welcoming Durant, Losing Green
Center Alperen Şengün told Turkish outlet Socrates Dergi that he waited two weeks before texting his new teammate. “I said, ‘Welcome to the team, I can’t wait to play with you. We’re gonna have a great year,’” Şengün recalled. “He replied immediately, saying, ‘We’re going to do great stuff this year.’”
Şengün also remembered a mid-game exchange with Durant last season. “I told him one game, ‘Don’t come to double me, let me play one-on-one.’ He said, ‘No way, you’re an All-Star now. You’re no longer going to play one-on-one. Get used to it.’”
The 22-year-old reflected on the departure of guard Jalen Green, traded to Phoenix in the Durant deal. “Jalen was like a brother to me,” he said. “We learned the NBA together. I didn’t speak any English when I first arrived. We learned everything from them.”
Favorable Schedule Ahead
Tankathon currently rates Houston’s 2025-26 slate as the most favorable in the Western Conference and the third-easiest league-wide. Barring adjustments after the NBA Cup, the Rockets are scheduled to face Oklahoma City, Denver, Minnesota, and both Los Angeles teams only three times each.
Source: Hoops Rumors
