There are conflicting reports from ESPN employees about whether or not the Houston Rockets are interested in acquiring Kevin Durant.
Both Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst said that the Rockets’ wheeling and dealing of draft picks was done with the intent of pursuing a Durant trade with the Phoenix Suns.
Wojnarowsk and Windhorst also indicated the Suns don’t want to trade Durant at the moment. However, their colleague Stephen A. Smith reported on First Take that neither of those things are true.
Not only did Smith say the Suns are actually maneuvering to rid themselves of Durant, he added that the Rockets are not interested in acquiring him.
“Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant. Ime Udoka may want him, but organizationally, they know that they are not there yet. So their plans are more long-range, and they would prefer a Devin Booker, who they know there’s a slim chance they’ll get. But that would be their preference.”
.@stephenasmith reports that the Suns “want out of Kevin Durant right now.”
“Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying. They want out of Kevin Durant right now. … Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant, Ime Udoka may want him. … Their plans are more long-range.” pic.twitter.com/JpuJDdNWPj
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 26, 2024
So, who is right and who is wrong here? Stephen A. is plugged in to the NBA, but Wojnarowski and Windhorst are the company’s actual league insiders.
The explanation Stephen A. gave as to why Houston wouldn’t want Durant is a logical one. The Rockets are still building, and they’re not yet in the position to gamble on a 36-year-old star to put them “over the top.”
On the flip side, it definitely seems like Houston has something up its sleeve in the coming days or weeks. We just have to find out what it is.
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