NEWS: Largest trade in NBA history sees Durant join Rockets…….read more
Here’s a polished news article on the blockbuster NBA trade:
🏀 Breakneck Mega-Trade Sets NBA Record: Durant Heads to Houston
HOUSTON, July 6, 2025 – In what instantly became the largest trade in NBA history, 37-year-old superstar Kevin Durant has been moved from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets as part of a mind-boggling seven-team, 13-player, and 16-pick megadeal. The complex deal, finalized just after the moratorium lifted on Sunday, involved Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Minnesota, Golden State, Brooklyn, and the Los Angeles Lakers .
- Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant, a 15-time All-Star and 2‑time Finals MVP, along with former Rocket Clint Capela, via a sign‑and‑trade with Atlanta).
- GM Rafael Stone described Durant as “one of the most efficient scorers in the history of basketball,” saying his presence will help Houston pivot from a rebuilding phase to serious contention .
To bring in Durant’s $54.7 million salary, Houston parted with:
- Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the rights to Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick), plus a 2026 & 2032 second-round pick (all to Phoenix
- Houston also traded Cam Whitmore to Washington in a separate but related deal
Phoenix Suns received Green, Brooks, Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea, Daeqwon Plowden, and 2026 & 2032 second-round picks .
Other beneficiaries included:
- Nets: two second-round picks (2026 & 2030)
- Warriors: rookies Alex Toohey (No. 52) and Jahmai Mashack (No. 59)
- Hawks: David Roddy, cash, and a 2031 second-round swap
- Lakers: Adou Thiero (No. 36) and cassh
- Timberwolves: Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45), two second-rounders (2026, 2032), and cash
- Unprecedented scale: A seven-team structure featuring 16 draft assets and six veteran players sets a new NBA precedent—tipping past last year’s six-team trade involving Klay Thompson .
- Durant returns to Texas: After his lone Longhorn season and starting his pro career in Seattle/Oklahoma City, Durant once again laces up in the Lone Star State
- Longevity & leadership: At 37, Durant continues to average 26–27 points per game. A four-time scoring
Under coach Ime Udoka, who has previously worked with Durant, the Rockets are staging a full court shift toward a championship mindset ). With their young core intact—Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson—the addition of Durant (and a familiar force in Capela) signifies that the Rockets are no longer rebuilding—they’re ready to compete at the highest level.
Signed, sealed, delivered: July 6, 2025 marks a seismic day in NBA history. For Phoenix, the trade clears a path toward youth and financial flexibility. For Houston, it signals a serious tilt toward immediate relevance—and potentially a return to prominence in the Western Conference. All eyes now turn to how Durant and Capela fit alongside Houston’s rising stars—and whether this record-breaking trade can deliver the championships it’s been designed to chase.
