"Kevin Durant joins Rockets in historic seven-team NBA trade"

Kevin Durant Completes Historic Move to Houston Rockets

The NBA approved Kevin Durant’s transfer to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, finalizing a seven-team deal—the largest in league history. The agreement combines multiple previously separate trades into a single, unprecedented transaction.

Rockets executive Rafael Stone noted, “Kevin influences the game on both ends of the floor and ranks among basketball’s most prolific scorers. Our team progressed last season, and his abilities will complement that growth.”

The deal involves Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Minnesota, Golden State, Brooklyn, and the Los Angeles Lakers, with 13 players relocating. Key components include Durant heading to Houston from Phoenix, the Rockets sending Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Suns, and Clint Capela joining Houston from Atlanta.

This surpasses the previous record of six teams in a trade, set last summer when Klay Thompson moved to Dallas. That deal also included Golden State, Charlotte, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Denver.

Phoenix’s Brian Gregory stated, “Kevin is one of the game’s all-time greats. We appreciate his contributions on and off the court. As a Sun, he surpassed 30,000 career points, joining an elite group, and we wish him success in Houston.”

The agreement includes at least five future second-round draft picks, a potential pick swap, and financial adjustments between Atlanta and Minnesota. Some picks won’t be conveyed until 2032, meaning future players involved may still be in middle school.

Durant averaged 26.6 points last season, his 17th in the league, excluding an injury absence. His career averages stand at 27.2 points and seven rebounds per game.

The trade returns Durant to Texas, where he played his lone college season with the Longhorns before being drafted second overall by Seattle in 2007. Houston is his fifth NBA team, following the SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City), Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. Durant won two championships with the Warriors (2017, 2018) and became the top scorer in U.S. Olympic basketball history last summer, securing his fourth gold medal.

The 6-foot-11 forward is a four-time scoring champion, two-time Finals MVP, and one of eight players to surpass 30,000 career points.