NBA trade reaction: Rockets, Rafael Stone praised for Kevin Durant deal

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NBA trade reaction: Rockets, Rafael Stone praised for Kevin Durant deal

Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire · Rockets Wire

Sun, Jun 22, 2025 ·

6 min read

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The Phoenix Suns are set to trade two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green , Dillon Brooks , the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday .

Those five second-round selections include the No. 59 pick in 2025; two choices in 2026 ; a 2030 selection via Boston ; and a 2032 pick from Houston.

Because of the inclusion of Green, the deal cannot be finalized until July, since it requires waiting until his higher 2025-26 salary is on the books.

A 6-foot-11 forward, Durant averaged 26.6 points (52.7% FG, 43.0% on 3-pointers), 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season, and he earned All-Star honors for the 15th time in his Hall of Fame career. The former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) turns 37 years old in September, and his current contract runs through next season . Early indications are that he plans on extending that deal in Houston.

So, for the Rockets, it's a clear upgrade to a young team that finished 52-30 last season and with the No. 2 overall seed in the Western Conference. With that in mind, the post-deal reaction from NBA media and fans was largely positive.

Here's a sampling of what we saw on social media, with plenty of praise for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone.