The Houston Rockets’ instant ascension to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference has been quite surprising, as the squad has attained a 32-17 record to this juncture.
While the franchise could be complacent and depend on their young talent past the Feb. 6 trade deadline, recent reports indicate that the team could realize that championship windows don’t often last long, making them a candidate to trade for a superstar to push them over the top.
In fact, Houston’s collection of draft assets and promising prospects could very well lead the organization to negotiate a trade for the Phoenix Suns’ former league MVP, Kevin Durant.
“League sources say the Houston Rockets, whose longtime interest in the Suns’ Devin Booker is likely to be revisited before the deadline, are known to be contemplating a pursuit of Durant as well,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote Tuesday evening.
“While the Rockets (32-17) have not been interested in pursuing older stars like James Harden and Durant in the recent past, the impressive speed of their rebuild may have changed the internal equation on that front.”
“They are currently third in the Western Conference, with every reason to believe a game-changing addition at the deadline might vault them into true title contender status.”
With new updates suggesting that the Golden State Warriors are seriously pursuing Durant ahead of the deadline, Houston could jump into the fold with an offer that the Suns simply couldn’t refuse.
Due to Houston’s embarrassment of riches regarding young talent and draft capital, it’s almost a given that they’d be able to offer a better package to Phoenix than Golden State.
If they decide to go all-in for the 36-year-old Durant prior to Feb. 6, a potential offer could include players like Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jabari Smith Jr. and a haul of first-round draft capital. Phoenix would at least have to consider dealing Durant for a return of this caliber to begin a soft rebuild.
In season No. 17, Durant is currently contributing 26.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on a ridiculous 63.2% true shooting percentage, still proving to be a piece that could make any run-of-the-mill contender into a consensus championship favorite.
If Houston is able to acquire Durant in a deal, their mix of wonderful defensive skill and scoring prowess could ultimately become too much for the rest of the Western Conference to handle come postseason.
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