Kevin Durant Just Changed Everything For The Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant Just Changed Everything For The Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant has reached agreement on a 2-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets. His deal is $30 million under the max contract of 120 that he was eligible for. But this sets Durant up to retire in Houston. I have been one of the biggest critics of Kevin Durant on this channel. So, whenever he does something that puts himself in a situation that could completely alter his legacy, I have to give him his flowers. One of the greatest scores in NBA history just left $30 million on the table. And what if I told you this wasn’t just about loyalty or legacy, but about something way bigger that’s happening in Houston right now. Kevin Durant just signed a contract extension with the Rockets that has the entire league talking. And when you see what Houston’s been cooking up this off seasonason, you’ll understand why this move just changed everything. So, real quick before we get to the content, make sure you drop like, subscribe, and turn on our notifications cuz the NBA season is starting and I’m going to make sure you are up to date with the latest NBA news and analysis. And now that we got all that out of the way, cue the intro [Music] [Music] If you took my Monday Night Football play in my last video, then congratulations on 3.5xing your money. And now Prize Pix gave us a free square to celebrate the new NBA season. Steph Curry just needs one point for his square to hit. And I have a play for you to take advantage of this. First, download prize picks and use my promo code microphone to get $50 when you make a play of $5 or more when you sign up for prize picks. And for opening night of the NBA season, I have Steph Curry making less than 4.5 threes. Alpar Shenun getting more than 10 rebounds and Luca getting more than 48.5 points, rebounds, and assists, which should be easy because the last time he came off of a summer where he played European basketball, he went way over this. I have additional plays on my IG page and my Discord server has been profiting each and every single day and you can check that out in the link in the description down below. And thank you prize picks for sponsoring today’s video. Mic check 1212. What’s going on everybody? Let’s start with the bombshell that dropped on Sunday. Kevin Durant agreed to a 2-year $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets. And on the surface, that sounds like a massive deal, right? $90 million in a state with no state income tax. But here’s the thing. Kevin Durant was eligible for an extension worth $122 million. Do the math real quick. That’s over $30 million that Kevin Durant just walked away from. Think about that for a second. That’s generational wealth that Kevin Durant just turned down. He signed for more than $30 million less than his potential maximum salary, creating additional salary cap space for Houston. Now, some of you might be thinking, Mike, the man’s already made hundreds of millions of dollars. He is the highest earnner in NBA history. What’s another 30? And we’re going to come back to that because what Kevin Durant did here is actually historic when you look at the bigger picture. The second year of the extension is Kevin Durant’s option. So, this deal could keep him with the Rockets through the 2027 to 2028 season. Durant will be making about $45 million per year on this extension after making $54.7 million this season. And check this out. Kevin Durant officially surpassed LeBron James as the record holder for the highest earnings in NBA history at $598.2 million. So even with the pay cut, Kevin Durant is still breaking records. But why Houston? Why now? Well, this is what Kevin Durant said at media day last month. Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise from where it was right after that James Harden, Chris Paul era, seeing when Eime got here and how he turned it around so fast, it just felt organic and natural coming into the gym and being a Houston Rocket for the first time. And that’s not just talk. Durant saw something in Houston that made him believe. But to understand what he saw, we got to look at what Houston’s been building cuz it’s absolutely remarkable. Let’s talk about what Houston was doing behind the scenes because this is where it gets really interesting. The Rockets have been putting together one of the smartest roster construction strategies we’ve seen in years. And it all starts with getting their young core locked up on teamfriendly deals. Let’s start with Alpar ShenGun. In October of 2024, Shangon agreed to a 5-year, $185 million rookie extension. Now, that sounds like a lot of money, right? But here’s the key. Houston wasn’t expected to offer him a maximum salary deal, and Shangun was interested in signing an extension before the season tipped off. The max would have been at $224 million. So, Houston saved about $40 million on that deal. Shangun will make just under $31.9 million next season. And what would be the final season of the contract, he’d make $42.1 million. For a guy who averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists last season, that’s a steal. He was one of six players to average at least 219 and5 last season with the others being Luca Donic, Noola Jokic, Giannis Antakmpo, Joel Embiid, and Julius Randall. That’s MVP level company. Then there’s Jaylen Green who also signed an extension before eventually being traded. Green agreed to a three-year $16 million rookie contract extension. Again, not a max deal. It was obvious that Houston was more reluctant to offer Green an extension than Shangun. with the contract being a short deal that makes sense for Houston as Green could be a free agent as soon as 2027 if things don’t work out. But the real value play was Jabari Smith Jr. and this is where the Houston Rockets general manager Raphael Stone absolutely crushed it. In late June, the Houston Rockets extended Jabari Smith Jr. to a 5-year 122 million rookie extension. That’s an average of about $24 million per year for a young, versatile forward who can shoot and defend multiple positions and has serious upside. Shangun will likely never make more than $40 million annually in his current contract, which exceeds through at least 2029. And Smith’s average annual value is just under 25 million. In the current NBA salary climate, securing a young, talented, and cohesive frontcourt duo for less than $65 million per year is quite a bargain. And the bargains kept coming. Fred Van Vleet had a $44.9 million team option. But the Rockets declined it and agreed to resign Fred Van Vleet to a 2-year, $50 million deal. By declining Fred Van Vleet’s option and resigning him to a longer deal, the Rockets save about $19.9 million on next season’s payroll. Van Vleet took less money to stay, and in return, he got security with that second year and a player option. They also locked up Steven Adams on a three-year, $39 million extension. That’s only $13 million per year for one of the best screen setters and offensive rebounders in the league. Do you see the pattern here? Houston’s been getting everyone to take slightly less than they could have gotten elsewhere, all while building towards something bigger. And that brings us back to Kevin Durant. Now, we circle back to Kevin Durant’s decision. Durant signed for more than $30 million less than his potential maximum salary of $122 million across 2026 to 27 and 2027-28, creating additional salary cap space for Houston in 2026 to 27 and beyond. And here’s the thing, Durant didn’t have to do this. He’s Kevin Durant. He’s a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a former league MVP, and he just became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points. Durant is eighth of all time on the NBA scoring list. Currently sitting at 30,571 points, and he realistically could climb to number five this season. He’s 848 behind Will Chamberlain, 989 behind Dirk Nitzky, and $1,721 behind Michael Jordan. But Durant looked at the Rockets roster and said, “You know what? I’d rather have a better team around me than an extra $30 million in my bank account.” And remember, Houston’s coach, Eime Udoka, said, “I think a lot of these guys are all about the right things, about winning and whatever it takes to get there, understanding that flexibility matters and it puts us in a good spot when there’s extra money to go around. We’re all on the same page as far as what we want to do here and the goal of winning a championship. This is a culture thing. From Shangun to Van Vleet to Adams to Durant, everyone’s buying in. Everyone’s taking a little less. Everyone’s prioritizing flexibility in championship contention over individual maximization. The flexibility is massive. It means Houston can make moves next summer without being handcuffed. It means they can extend Almond Thompson when the time comes. It means they can add pieces without worrying about getting killed by the luxury tax. This is how you build sustainable contenders. But you know who’s doing the exact opposite? Come on, guys. I had to bring this up. Let’s talk about LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, I’m not here to bash LeBron James. The man’s a legend, a top three NBA player of all time, and he’s earned every penny that he’s ever made. But the contrast between what Kevin Durant just did and what LeBron James did this summer is absolutely wild, and it perfectly illustrates two completely different approaches to winning at the tail end of a legendary career. In late June, LeBron James exercised his 52.6 million player option for the 2025 to 26 NBA season. Now listen, LeBron’s 40 years old. He’s about to play in his 23rd season, and he’s still putting up amazing numbers. But here’s where it gets interesting. LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, said in a statement that he understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. But the problem is this. By opting into a $52.6 $.6 million contract. LeBron gave the Lakers no flexibility. If James opts in, the Lakers options in this scenario are greatly minimized. They would be well under the second apron, but right up against the first, with roster spots still needing to be filled. If they jump above that first apron, they wouldn’t be able to make any trades that bring back more money than they send out, as well as other limitations. Remember, the Lakers just traded for Luca Donuch. They’re trying to build around a 26-year-old superstar. They need to add pieces. They need flexibility. They need to be able to make moves. But with LeBron taking $52.6 million in cap space, they’re stuck. And here’s the thing. There are reports that LeBron could have taken less. A source close to the situation explained that he wants to win. And if he wants to win with Bronny James, what’s to stop him from opting out and taking even less if he thinks it can lead to accomplishing that, but he didn’t. And look, maybe LeBron’s earned the right to take every dollar. Maybe he doesn’t trust the Lakers front office to spend the savings wisely. Maybe he’s planning to retire after this season anyway. But compare that to Durant, who’s 37 years old, basically the same stage of his career as LeBron, and he’s willingly leaving $30 million on the table because he trusts Raphael Stone and Eime Udoka to build a winner. He sees the vision. He’s allin. The contrast is stark. One guy is taking every dollar while his team struggles to build around their young superstar. The other guy sacrificing to give his team maximum flexibility. And honestly, based on how Houston’s off season has gone versus how the Lakers offseason has gone, I know which approach I’d rather have. But here’s what makes Durant’s pay cut even more significant. He’s joining an elite group of NBA legends who sacrificed money for championships. And when you take a look at the history of pay cuts in the NBA, there’s a clear pattern. Teams that get their stars to buy in and take less money are the teams that win championships. Let’s start with Tim Duncan. In the summer of 2012, Duncan opted for a substantial pay cut, signing a three-year, $30 million contract despite being eligible for a much larger deal. His decision to accept an 11 million reduction from his previous earnings was pivotal for the Spurs, allowing the franchise to maintain a competitive roster around him. And what happened? By accepting an 11.5 million pay cut from the $21.15 million salary he earned the previous season, Duncan enabled the club to resign its most coveted free agent players like Danny Green and Boris Diao, add below the NBA’s projected luxury tax threshold. The Spurs made back-to-back finals appearances in 2013 and 2014. And they won it all in 2014 as well. Duncan sacrifice literally led to a championship. The Miami Heat big three is another perfect example. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosch all took deals at less than market value in the 2010 offseason to enhance the Heat’s chances of signing complimentary players. The result was four straight finals appearances and two championships. Dwayne Wade showed tremendous loyalty to the franchise, giving up $16 million on his first contract, the highest amount out of anyone in Miami’s big three to help the team facilitate signing the other two superstars, as well as the resigning of Udonis Hasslam. And Wade’s pay cut paid off with those championships. But here’s what’s important. These pay cuts only work when the front office uses that flexibility wisely. Duncan’s pay cut worked because the Spurs were brilliant at finding value and developing players. The Heat pay cuts worked because Pat Riley knew how to build around the big three. And now Kevin Durant’s betting that Raphael Stone and Eay Udoka will do the same thing in Houston. And based on what we’ve seen so far, that’s looking like a pretty good bet. So let’s talk about what this flexibility actually means for the Rockets moving forward because this is where everything comes together. Right now, Houston has locked up their core. Shangun’s on a team-friendly deal through 2029. Jabari Smith’s locked up through 2031. Almond Thompson and Reed Shepard are still on rookie contracts. Tari Een is up for an extension soon, but he’s been kept out of trade talks because Houston values him so highly. And now Kevin Durant’s locked in through at least 2027. The savings from Van Vleet’s restructured deal and Durant’s pay cut give the Rockets enough financial flexibility when it comes to possible extensions for Almond Thompson and Tari Een. This is huge. When Almond Thompson becomes extension eligible, Houston won’t be in a position where they have to choose between keeping him or staying under the luxury tax. They’ll be able to do both. And here’s something else to consider. Houston’s payroll for the current season is hardcapped at the first apron. Meaning total salary cannot exceed $195.9 million at any point. But the Rockets projected total next season, including Durant’s estimated $45 million salary, leaves them with $37 million of room below the second apron. Even before resigning Een. Think about what that means. Next summer, Houston could potentially make a significant addition. They could trade for another star if one becomes available. They could sign a key free agent. They have options. And in today’s NBA, where teams are getting killed by the second apron restrictions, having options is everything. Compare that to teams like the Lakers who are strapped trying to build around Luca with LeBron taking up $52 million or the Cleveland Cavaliers who are currently over the Second Apron but are a favorite to come out of the East. Houston’s in a completely different position. They’re not only one of the top teams in the West, but they have flexibility to add additional pieces if they want to. And it’s not just about next summer. The flexibility compounds over time. When you’re not paying luxury tax every year, you save ownership money, which makes them more willing to spend when you do need to go over. When you’re not hardcapped, you can take advantage of opportunities that pop up mid-season. And when you have room under aprons, you can actually execute trades instead of being restricted by all these salary matching rules. This is how the Warriors built their dynasty. They had Steph on an undervalued contract due to his ankle injuries, which let them sign Kevin Durant in 2016. They had Clay and Draymond on teamfriendly deals early in their careers. And by the time everyone got paid, they’d already won championships and built a culture. This is how the Spurs stayed competitive for two decades. Duncan took pay cuts. Parker took pay cuts. Genobi took pay cuts. And in return, they won five championships and made the playoffs for literally 22 straight seasons. Houston’s following that blueprint. And the scary part, this team is already really good before maximizing this flexibility. So, let’s talk about what Houston actually has here. Because when you lay it all out, this roster is absolutely stacked. You’ve got Kevin Durant, who averaged 26 points last season and is one of the most efficient scorers in basketball. He shot an NBA best 49.7% on jumpers and 53.1% on mid-range shots. He also had the best shooting percentage on off the dribble jumpers at 50.9%. The Rockets desperately needed a go-to scorer in crunch time and now they have arguably the greatest pure scorer of this generation. You got Alpar Shenun who’s developing into one of the best young centers in the league. 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per game. He can score inside and out. He can pass like a point guard from the post and he’s only 22 years old. You’ve got Amond Thompson who took a massive leap last season and looks like a future all-star. His defense is already elite and he’s shown real improvement as a playmaker and finisher. You’ve got Jabari Smith Jr. who at 22 years old is a versatile forward who can defend multiple positions and space the floor. Smith struggled to find consistency with his three-point shot during the regular season, but he flashed his potential in the playoffs by making 45.5% of his threes. Fred Van Vleet is injured, but Reed Shepard is the wild card of this team. if he can fulfill his potential as a top five draft pick and you combine that with Steven Adams setting brick wall screens and crashing the offensive glass and Tari Een coming off of the bench as an elite defensive pest who can guard the one through four. I mean, this team has practically everything. And the most beautiful part is most of these guys are locked up long-term on reasonable deals. This isn’t a win now or bust situation like the Phoenix Suns had with their big three. This is a sustainable contender that can compete for championships for the next 3 to 5 years. So, let me know in the comments section down below. What do you guys think about Kevin Durant’s pay cut? I try to emphasize how big of a deal it is whenever a superstar makes this level of a sacrifice for their team. And I honestly think this could be the difference between Kevin Durant finishing his career with four championships or just the two that he’s already won. I think this is a legacyaltering decision that Kevin Durant made and Houston Rockets fans should be excited about it. Let me know what you guys think about this in the comment section down below. Aside from that, I’m your boy Mike and I’m dropping our mic until our next upload. [Music]

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