New York (AFP) – Superstar Kevin Durant is headed from the Phoenix Suns to Houston as part of an NBA-record seven-team deal, the Rockets confirmed on Sunday. The Rockets will also welcome back Clint Capela in a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta, Houston said in a statement posted on the team website. Also involved in the blockbuster transfer were the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant, in a Sunday post on X, sent a farewell message to fans in Phoenix while making it clear he is excited to be heading for Houston, his fifth career NBA club. “My time in Phoenix has come to an end,” Durant posted. “All these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way. Remember it’s a world behind the scenes, and those who make things work in that space, work tirelessly to make our lives easier as players. I truly believe this NBA is one big community. Much love to Arizona. Houston, Can’t Wait!”
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Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star forward, turns 37 in September. The 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player won NBA titles with Golden State in 2017 and 2018. “Kevin impacts the game on both ends of the court and is one of the most efficient scorers in the history of basketball,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said in a statement. “We liked the growth our team showed last season and believe Kevin’s skill set will integrate seamlessly.”
Capela, a 31-year-old Swiss center, played his first six NBA seasons in Houston and the past five for the Hawks. He averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks a game and joins New Zealand’s Steven Adams as a big-man backup to Turkey’s Alperen Sengun. The Suns’ haul after losing Durant included 18-year-old South Sudanese 7-foot-2 (2.18m) center Khaman Maluach, the 10th overall pick in June’s NBA draft, plus Houston forward Dillon Brooks of Canada and guard Jalen Green, Atlanta wing Daeqwon Plowden, Minnesota forward Rasheer Fleming, and Golden State guard Koby Brea of the Dominican Republic.
The Hawks got cash and a 2031 draft pick swap from Houston while Brooklyn obtained two future second-round selections and sent the rights to incoming US rookie forward Adou Thiero to the Lakers. The Warriors obtained the rights to Australian forward Alex Toohey, the 52nd pick in last month’s draft, and US guard Jahmai Mashack, the last pick in the draft. Minnesota landed two future draft picks from the Suns and 18-year-old Australian 7-foot-3 center Rocco Zikarsky, the 45th pick in the draft, from the Lakers.
Durant had confirmed last month he was “looking forward” to joining the Rockets after reports he was headed to Houston surfaced on the day of Game Seven of the NBA Finals. However, the deal could not be finalized until the league’s yearly moratorium on signing ended on Sunday.
“Having played against Kevin and coached him before, I know he’s the type of competitor who fits with what we’ve been building here in Houston,” said Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who worked with Durant at the Brooklyn Nets and on the US Olympic squad. Durant joined Phoenix in February 2023 in a trade with Brooklyn that cost the Suns three players and four first-round draft picks. With Durant, the Suns won only one playoff series in three seasons before the swap with the Rockets, who missed the playoffs four years in a row before falling to Golden State in this year’s first round.
Durant began his NBA journey as the second selection in the 2007 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Durant, a four-time NBA scoring champion with the Thunder, sparked his team to the NBA Finals in 2012, when Oklahoma City lost to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.
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