There’s “optimism” that the Rockets will have an extension in place with Kevin Durant before the regular season begins on October 21, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Wednesday on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Speculation about a new contract with Durant has been ongoing since Houston reached an agreement to acquire him from Phoenix in June. He’s currently on a $54.7MM expiring deal and will become a free agent next summer unless a new contract can be worked out.
Durant stated at media day that he expects to sign an extension with the Rockets, although he told reporters he wasn’t sure when it might happen. It has been suggested that the team would like to work out a rookie scale extension with Tari Eason first so it has a better grasp on its finances before finalizing a deal with Durant.
With a projected $166MM salary cap for 2026/27, Durant is currently eligible for an extension worth up to $119.1MM over two years. That number would increase to $120.85MM on January 6, which is six months after the trade was finalized.
A report in August indicated that the Rockets are hesitant to give Durant a maximum-salary deal, noting that the extension will cover his age-38 and 39 seasons. That was accompanied by speculation that he might be willing to accept $100MM over two years, which would be a slight decrease from his current salary.
In an interview on Tuesday with Kay Adams of FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Durant confirmed that he will make his Rockets preseason debut in tonight’s game against Utah.
“Just get some good run up and down the floor, just to get your wind right,” Durant responded when asked about he hopes to accomplish. “It’s a different feel when you’re underneath the lights, and the whistle and the real game.”