As the Houston Rockets acquired superstar forward Kevin Durant this offseason in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, they knew they were taking somewhat of a gamble insofar as he only had one year remaining on his contract, meaning there was no guarantee of him returning to Houston beyond just this one season.
Yet, with news that Durant has now signed a two-year, $90 million extension on the eve of the season, he is now likely set to play through the end of his career in Houston, and its relatively limited figure could prove to be massive for the team as they continue to attempt to build out a genuine championship contender.
BREAKING: Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman tells ESPN. The new deal includes a player option in 2027-28. pic.twitter.com/5GdhzgnSPa
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2025Kevin Durant signs a two-year, $90 million extension with the Houston Rockets
As the Rockets soared to the second seed in the Western Conference last season, their playoff defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors made it clear that one thing was missing: a prolific scorer in the halfcourt.
Durant, even at age 37, represents exactly this. Last season with Phoenix, he averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 43% from beyond the arc.
Moreover, even as he nears the of his career, Durant remains one of the most effective and lethal mid-range scorers in the entire NBA, and the attention that he will draw from opposing defenses, in addition to just his sheer generation on offense, should make everything flow more smoothly for the team’s young core that will surround him.
Yet, even in attempting to extend Durant, there was another significant risk present. An extension for Tari Eason is due very soon, and an extension for Amen Thompson will be due next season. Were Durant to demand the max, or close to it, the team could have had an exceedingly hard time retaining both of these integral pieces.
However, Durant’s extension sits $30 million below his maximum, which would have been a two-year, $120 million deal given his age and tenure in the league. Houston will now be roughly $80 million below the second apron heading into next season, not accounting for an Eason extension, allowing them to extend both of their young players and even add to the team if needed.
While the organization said outwardly that they were looking to extend Eason first, the flexibility that Durant’s contract has provided should allow them to do so with more certainty when the time comes.