Amid a restrictive new collective bargaining agreement, NBA teams are getting more creative than ever.
A league-record seven-team trade has been agreed upon, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported Sunday.
The deal will expand the previously reported Kevin Durant trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets to include five other teams: the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Rockets will receive Durant via the Suns and Capela via the Hawks. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks head to Phoenix from Houston and Daeqwon Plowden will also go to the desert from Atlanta. David Roddy moves to the Hawks.
The remaining elements of the trade are draft-pick swaps that are yet to be finalized, Katz added.
Brooklyn will receive two second round picks, Golden State gets 2025 second-rounders Alex Toohey and Jahmai Mashack, the Lakers dealt for Adou Thiero and the Timberwolves receive Rocco Zikarsky, two seconds and cash, Shams Charania of ESPN reported Sunday.
The Suns also received six draft picks for Durant, including the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft that became Duke big man Khaman Maluach and five future second-round picks.
Houston finished No. 2 in the Western Conference in the regular season, albeit 16 games behind No. 1 Oklahoma City. It now adds a two-time champion to its young core as it looks to make another jump next season.
Durant averaged 26.6 points this season, his 17th in the NBA — not counting one year missed because of injury. For his career, the six-foot-11 forward is averaging 27.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
The former MVP will join all-star centre Alperen Sengun, breakout wing Amen Thompson and veteran floor general Fred VanVleet.
Durant is a four-time scoring champion, two-time Finals MVP and one of eight players in NBA history with more than 30,000 career points, joining the club on Feb. 11.
Durant is under contract next season for roughly $50 million before becoming a free agent in 2026.
Turning 37 at the start of the 2025-26, Durant has managed to keep his efficiency and stat line on par with his previous career averages, while playing in 62 and 75 games over the last two seasons, respectively.
Yet, over the last few years of his 18-year NBA career, Durant has dealt with numerous injuries. He has averaged just 54.8 regular-season games since suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.
–with files from The Associated Press