When the Rockets acquired three future NBA draft assets from the Phoenix Suns (via a June 2024 trade with the Brooklyn Nets), speculation immediately swirled regarding Houston’s potential pursuit of All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
Yet, a deal didn’t materialize until approximately a year later.
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In a recent interview with Houston’s ESPN Radio affiliate (97.5 FM), Rockets general manager Rafael Stone addressed the timeline:
It was long. Like, we understood what they wanted to get for Kevin, and it just didn’t make sense for our team —starting, I don’t know, a year ago. So, there were all these conversations, and it was a very, very long process.
There were two main things that changed between then and now.
For starters, after posting a 52-30 season in 2024-25 with the second-best record in the Western Conference, the Rockets entered the 2025 offseason close enough to title contention that a Durant acquisition could potentially put them over the top.
In the 2024 offseason, the Rockets were coming off a 41-41 campaign with the West’s No. 11 record. So, the Rockets were more hesistant to invest significant assets into acquiring a veteran player if it was unclear whether that addition would be enough to lift the team into legitimate contention.
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Second, by waiting, the Suns’ asking price likely came down. In 2024, Durant was 35 years old and had two years remaining on his contract until its 2026 expiration. In 2025, Durant is 36 and one year from potential free agency. From a Phoenix perspective, that limited the leverage.
Ultimately, the Rockets-Suns deal included only one Phoenix pick (the 2025 first-round selection at No. 10 overall), as opposed to the two or three that the Suns would have likely commanded in talks a year earlier.
“From my perspective — obviously, we did the trade,” Stone said. “We’re really happy with it. I’ve gotten to know Kevin a little bit, and I’m really happy with him as a person.”
The complete conversation can be listened to or watched here.
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This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rafael Stone sheds light on Rockets-Suns trade talks for Kevin Durant