The Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster deal with the Phoenix Suns, per ESPN's Shams Charania. In exchange, Houston is sending a package of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks.
This trade should make Portland Trail Blazers fans feel optimistic about the direction their rebuild is heading in because, in many ways, Portland is following the rebuilding blueprint of Houston.
The Blazers are following in the Rockets' footsteps
The Rockets previously added veterans Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet to help them return to playoff relevancy, which accelerated the timeline alongside an ascending young core better off because of it. This year, they finished as the second seed in the loaded Western Conference. But ultimately, it was a combination of their age and, more importantly, their lack of star power that resulted in an early first-round playoff exit at the hands of the seven-seeded Golden State Warriors.
This season proved that Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are already stars, but for Houston to become a true contender, they're better off as second and third pieces of a championship roster (at least at this point in their career).
Sengun's ability to be an offensive hub with his playmaking and Thompson's Defensive Player of the Year potential make them the perfect complementary stars who can impact the game without scoring. Now, the Rockets add arguably the best individual scorer to ever do it in Durant for relatively cheap.
This relates to the Blazers in the sense that they have elite role players such as Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan but are missing that clear-cut star as their go-to option. Deni Avdija has done a great job of taking on that role, particularly towards the end of the season. But it's clear that for the Blazers to get to where they want to be, Avdija is best suited as a secondary or tertiary option.
Houston just showed Portland how to add a superstar
The Blazers still need to add that Durant-level superstar. That could come through this year's draft or internal improvements of players already on their roster. But it's far more likely that they will need to pursue this externally. And the good news is when they finally pull the trigger, it doesn't have to be as aggresive of a deal to the point where going all-in sets back their rebuild if it doesn't pan out.
This trade is a major win for Houston as Phoenix didn't get back any of its valuable first-round picks, and the Rockets managed to keep most of their young core intact. The Rockets are still well-equipped to contend even after 36-year-old Durant's retirement.
The Blazers already have a foundation in place and must identify their version of that final piece in the coming seasons. The only question is, who is that Green-like player they are willing to sacrifice as the odd man out of their young core?
Fans may not want to hear this, but it could be Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe, depending on what they decide to do with Anfernee Simons and how the 2025-26 season plays out.