Kevin Durant Signs Extension with the Rockets for $90 Million
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. This was reported by Rich Kleiman, business partner and CEO of Boardroom.
Durant was eligible for a maximum contract extension of $120 million in two years. However, by choosing the Rockets as his trade destination, he understood that he would sacrifice money in the new deal, around $30 million, so that both parties could partner long-term and give the team flexibility for team building, according to Kleiman.
At 37 years old, Durant holds the record for highest career earnings in NBA history, with $598.2 million, based on current and future salaries, surpassing LeBron James ($583.9 million). Durant will earn $54.7 million this season and now has a total of three years and $144.7 million on his contract.
The Rockets acquired Durant in July as part of the biggest trade in NBA history, a historic seven-team deal that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 draft pick Khaman Maluach, and second-round picks Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea to the Phoenix Suns. The addition of Durant elevated the Rockets, the second seed in the Western Conference, to a legitimate NBA title contender, uniting the two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP with young stars Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.
Durant, a 15-time All-Star, offers the Rockets a top-class shooter and shot creator who fits perfectly into the lineup. Last season, he led the NBA with 49.7% on jump shots and 53.1% on mid-range shots, in addition to having the best percentage on jump shots off the dribble (50.9%), according to GeniusIQ.
These are areas where Durant will have a consistent impact on the Rockets, who ranked 27th in effective field goal percentage on pull-up jump shots and 24th in effective field goal percentage on all jump shots, according to GeniusIQ. The Rockets also ranked seventh in isolations per game but were 27th in points per direct isolation.
Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games with the Suns. The future Hall of Famer has averaged at least 25 points with 50% field goal shooting and 40% from three-pointers in three consecutive seasons, the longest streak in NBA history, according to data.
Durant ranks eighth in career points in the NBA and can surpass Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki on the all-time list this season if he scores at least 990 points. He has averaged at least 25 points per game in 16 consecutive seasons, the most in league history, behind James (20 consecutive seasons). Durant has the most points per game in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the history of the Brooklyn Nets, and the history of the Suns, and has the second-most points per game in the history of the Golden State Warriors, behind Chamberlain.
The Rockets have completed significant offseason moves in addition to the Durant trade and extension. They reached new agreements with coach Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Jabari Smith Jr., acquired Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and Josh Okogie in free agency, and re-signed veterans Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, and Jeff Green.
Houston has the fifth-best odds to win the 2026 NBA title, at 14-1 according to the betting odds. The Rockets begin their regular season on Tuesday night on the road against the reigning champions, the Thunder.
