Kevin Durant is staying put – and he’s putting his money where his heart is.
The 35-year-old superstar has signed a two-year contract extension with the Houston Rockets that could keep him with the team through the 2027-28 season, the franchise announced Sunday.
The second year is a player option, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity because financial terms weren’t made public.
ESPN, citing Durant’s longtime business partner Rich Kleiman, reported the agreement is worth about $90 million. In opting to extend rather than test free agency, Durant reportedly left more than $30 million on the table – a gesture underscoring his desire to anchor Houston’s resurgence.
If he plays out the full deal, the four-time scoring champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist will have earned nearly $600 million in on-court salary – a figure that could set a new NBA record, depending on how long LeBron James continues his career.
Durant’s latest move signals more than loyalty – it’s a bet that his next great chapter will unfold in Houston.
Durant – a 15-time All-Star and one of only seven players in NBA history with that many selections – was eligible for an extension worth up to $122 million. He opted for less, a move that gives the Rockets flexibility for future deals.
“Generous guy,” Rockets forward Amen Thompson told reporters Sunday in Houston.
The new deal had been expected since Durant chose to join the Rockets and they swung a trade for him this past summer. Houston was the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed last season after going 52-30, snapping a five-year playoff drought. The Rockets are 93-71 in coach Ime Udoka’s two seasons, after going 59-177 in the three previous years.
“I think we all knew when we traded for him and when he came here it wasn’t a short-term thing,” Udoka said. “Good to get to a point where everybody’s happy, and hopefully he finishes his career here.”
Durant said at the Rockets’ media day last month that he expected to sign an extension.
“Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise from where it was right after that James Harden–Chris Paul era, seeing when Ime got here and how he turned it around so fast ... it just felt organic and natural coming into the gym and being a Houston Rocket for the first time,” Durant said.
Durant is eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He could realistically climb to No. 5 this season; currently at 30,571 points, he is 848 behind No. 7 Wilt Chamberlain, 989 behind No. 6 Dirk Nowitzki and 1,721 behind No. 5 Michael Jordan.
Durant averaged 26.6 points last season, his 17th in the NBA – not counting one year missed because of injury. For his career, the 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 27.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
Signing with Houston brought Durant back to Texas, where he played one year of college basketball for the Longhorns and was the national player of the year before being selected No. 2 overall in the 2007 draft by Seattle.
Houston is his fifth franchise, after the SuperSonics (who became the Oklahoma City Thunder), Golden State, Brooklyn and Phoenix. Durant won two NBA championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and last year became both the highest-scoring player in U.S. Olympic basketball history and the first men’s player to win four gold medals.
Having an option to play into 2028 also raises the possibility that Durant may consider competing for the U.S. at the Los Angeles Olympics.
