The Houston Rockets star, Kevin Durant, has signed a contract extension for two years and $90 million, with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Durant, eligible for a maximum extension of $120 million in two years, chose to prioritize the team’s flexibility by choosing the Rockets as a trade destination, resulting in an economic sacrifice of around $30 million.
Durant’s current and future agreement makes him the highest-earning player in NBA history, with $598.2 million, surpassing LeBron James.
This season, Durant will earn $54.7 million, totaling three years and $144.7 million in his contract.
The Rockets announced the extension on Sunday, without revealing the specific terms.
Durant arrived in Houston in July as part of the largest trade in NBA history, a historic seven-team deal.
The arrival of Durant positions the Rockets, runners-up in the Western Conference, as a serious contender for the NBA title, by uniting the two-time champion and Finals MVP with young stars like Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.
Durant, a 15-time All-Star, brings an elite shooter and playmaker to the Rockets who fits perfectly into the lineup. Last season, he led the NBA in jumper shooting percentage (49.7%) and mid-range shooting (53.1%), as well as having the best percentage of shots off the dribble (50.9%).
These skills will be key for 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.
In the past 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 for three consecutive seasons, the longest streak in NBA history.
Durant ranks eighth in career points in the NBA and could surpass Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki on the historical 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 the league after James (20 consecutive seasons). Durant has the highest points-per-game average in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets, and Suns, and the second-highest average in the history of the Golden State Warriors, behind Chamberlain.
The Rockets have made significant moves outside of 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.
The Rockets will begin their regular season on Tuesday night on the road against the defending champion, the Thunder.
