The writing was on the wall that the Phoenix Suns would trade Kevin Durant this summer after trying to trade him to the Warriors before the deadline. Phoenix wanted to get a deal done before the draft, and they did. The Suns acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick and five second-round picks from the Rockets.
Once the deal was completed, the main consensus was that Phoenix could have gotten more from Houston. That was months before Durant played his first game. On Tuesday, KD prepared for his first official game with Houston, as the Rockets and Thunder tipped off the 2025-2026 NBA regular season on NBC.
Houston went into halftime with a 57-51 lead over the defending champions. Durant led the Rockets with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Houston desperately needed a top scorer, a weakness that became painfully apparent in the playoffs, and it couldn’t have gotten a better one.
Who saved the Rockets when their offense stalled in the first half? Durant, duh.
The Rockets’ offense/speed/distance in the half court still isn’t great and at that point it’s fun to have Kevin Durant make shots to get you out of that.
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) October 22, 2025
Kevin Durant shines in his first official game with the Rockets
Houston finished No. 2 in the West last season, which surprised many. The Rockets didn’t have the offensive firepower to compete with Steph Curry and the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
They were picked up as one of the top teams to land Durant, but the front office understandably had reservations about trading for a soon-to-be 37-year-old. Houston got to where it was with patience, so what would happen if the Rockets cut some of their depth for Durant? As it turns out, they didn’t have to worry about that because it was a no-brainer move to get KD for the price they paid.
It’s only the first game of 82 for Houston, but the Durant trade already seems like a win. It seemed like a victory as soon as it happened, but some things you can’t believe until you see them, right? However, in this case you didn’t have to see it.
Durant might have thought he would end his NBA career with the Suns, perhaps after winning a third championship. As much as Phoenix fans wanted that, it took a completely different turn.
Maybe KD will win another title before he retires, but not with the Suns.
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