Former Houston Rockets star Ralph Sampson believes that Kevin Durant added more years to his playing career by joining the Rockets this summer.
The 36-year-old Durant has played 17 NBA seasons. With only 11 players logging at least 20 years in the league and just two going over 21, many agree that KD is heading into the final years of his sure-fire Hall of Fame career. However, with his latest move to Houston, Ralph thinks we’ll be seeing Kevin much longer.
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“Kevin Durant fits together with anybody,” Sampson said. “I love KD, and he’ll teach those young guys how to be a professional. I think it’s a great fit. It should extend his career. They should give him more money and more contracts because I think he’s isn’t going to have to play as hard, but he can play smart and preserve his body for the playoffs.”
Expectations are high for the Rockets after adding KD
Durant was the No.2 overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, and among the players picked that year, only he, Al Horford, Mike Conley, and Jeff Green have not yet retired. However, while Horford is contemplating retirement and Conley and Green are no longer the players they were when they were in their primes, KD is coming off yet another impressive season.
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Although he did not make an All-NBA team, it was probably more of not playing enough games to be eligible for the honor. That’s because Kevin still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game in 62 games played for the Phoenix Suns during the 2024-25 campaign. And while his Suns did not make the playoffs last season, expectations are high for Durant’s new team.
The Rockets were the No.2 seed in the Western Conference last season. However, without a legit go-to guy down the stretch, they were upset by Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Kevin fills that void, and that’s the reason why Houston surrendered Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to acquire KD. As Sampson said, with plenty of talent in Houston, Durant can take it easy during the regular season before going all out in the playoffs.
Stephen A. says the Rockets are one of two teams that can dethrone the Thunder
Houston is going to be so good with KD that even ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who is one of Durant’s staunchest critics, picked them as one of the two teams that pose a legitimate threat to the back-to-back aspirations of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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“I would not underestimate Houston because of KD. I look at Oklahoma City’s defense — big time, stellar. They have no answer for KD. And they’re going through these droughts, their scoring droughts, but their defense saves the day. Your defense ain’t saving the day against KD. It’s not happening. If nothing else, that brother is going to eat good for 25. It’s not a problem for him at all,” Smith explained recently.
If the Rockets play their cards right and if Durant stays healthy, they could be threats in the NBA for more than just the next couple of seasons. We’ve seen LeBron play up to at least year 23, and he’s been doing heavy lifting. If Houston is who everyone thinks they are, Sampson may be correct about them having to give KD more than one contract because he might be staying there longer than expected.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.