<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-kevin-durant-joining-dubs-same-thing-andre-iguodala');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Draymond Green thinks Kevin Durant joining Dubs was ‘same thing’ as Andre Iguodala');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Warriors-Draymond-Green-Kevin-Durant-Andre-Iguodala.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Warriors’ Draymond Green thinks Kevin Durant joining Dubs was ‘same thing’ as Andre Iguodala</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T08:32:06-07:00">September 10th, 8:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T08:32:06-07:00">September 10th, 8:32am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While some NBA fans turned sour on Houston Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant for ditching the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green reminded everyone that Andre Iguodala did the same thing. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-defending-domantas-sabonis-stomp">Green reflected on controversial moments throughout his career</a>, he chimed in on the criticism that followed Durant for joining a team he and the Thunder had a 3-1 lead against in the Western Conference Finals.</p><p>Green pointed out that Iguodala, who played for the Denver Nuggets in 2012-13, did the same as Durant when the Warriors eliminated Denver, 4-2, in the Western Conference quarterfinal series before Andre joined Golden State the following summer. Still, Iguodala <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIt1OxDX0Wg" rel="noopener">never faced the kind of backlash</a> that pursued Durant, Green said via Kai Cenat’s live stream.</p><p>“They’re really only hating because it’s KD. Because Andre Iguodala did the same thing. We beat them in the playoffs. He signed with the Warriors,” Green said. “So people only hating like that because he’s KD. Hell, Andre Iguodala did the same thing — nobody said a word. Also, we lost. The difference between losing a championship and winning it — I just told you — it’s drastic. Like, you don’t get a token for making it to the Finals.</p><p>“We f****** lost. There’s no guarantee we’re ever going back. So, when he came and joined the team, he didn’t join some championship team. We just f****** lost,” Green concluded.</p><p>Still, many viewed Kevin Durant’s as a traitor. Given how close the Thunder were to beating the Warriors, Durant was the subject of ridcule for forming one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Alongside All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green, KD and the Warriors would go onto win back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.</p><h2><b>Warriors’ Draymond Green defends Domantas Sabonis stomp</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Warriors-Draymond-Green.jpg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Warriors veteran Draymond Green knows what it’s like to be the face of controversy. In the twilight years of his career, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-called-out-nbas-biggest-whiner-deaaron-fox">Green is labeled as more of a whiner</a> than a troublemaker. However, it wouldn’t surprise any to see Draymond commiting a flagrant foul that could lead to a suspension.</p><p>One of Green’s most egregious flagrant fouls happened when he intentionally stepped on Domantas Sabonis’ chest in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings. To this day, Green <a href="https://twitter.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1965558890051076240" rel="noopener">justifies his stomp</a> on Sabonis for grabbing his ankle.</p><p>“You gotta get him back, why is he holding onto my ankle?” Green is heard saying.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Draymond Green on why he stomped on Domantas Sabonis 😬 </p><p>“You gotta get him back, why is he holding onto my ankle?”</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/CourtsideBuzzX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CourtsideBuzzX</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ECcDLCINTV">pic.twitter.com/ECcDLCINTV</a></p><p>— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1965558890051076240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As if someone grabbing your ankle is a good reason to stomp on their chest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Draymond Green thinks Kevin Durant joining Dubs was ‘same thing’ as Andre Iguodala

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sneakers/kevin-durants-new-nike-sneaker-has-been-leaked');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Durant’s new Nike sneaker has been leaked');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kevin-Durants-new-Nike-sneaker-may-have-been-leaked.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Durant’s new Nike sneaker has been leaked</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T19:15:03-07:00">August 29th, 7:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T19:22:38-07:00">August 29th, 7:22pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the most decorated olympian in USA Basketball history embarks on a new journey with the Houston Rockets, fans can expect Kevin Durant to be the same force he has been for the last 17 seasons. The lifetime Nike athlete also has a robust <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/kevin-durant-reveals-new-aunt-pearl-nike-kd-18">signature sneaker collection</a>, on pace with the likes of LeBron James and the late great Kobe Bryant. As is the case with every offseason, Durant will release yet another sneaker, which may have been confirmed as the upcoming Nike KD 19.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>Kevin Durant has kept a consistent slate of signature releases throughout his NBA career, edging on having more signature sneaker models than years in the NBA. His signature line has grown into one of Nike’s most prominent, offering quality basketball shoes for an affordable price while constantly dreaming up new color schemes.</p><p>In recent leaks to outlets like SneakerFiles, the upcoming silhouette for the Nike KD 19 has arrived. Taking a stern departure from the typical look of the signature line, Durant’s newest sneaker will closely resemble the <a href="https://stockx.com/nike-air-hyperflight-black-white">Nike Air Hyperflight from 2001</a>.</p><h2>First look at the Nike KD 19</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nike KD 19 “Bright Ceramic” Debuts Summer 2026 for $185 🍊😳 <a href="https://t.co/tjucjDb4zA">pic.twitter.com/tjucjDb4zA</a></p><p>— House of Heat° (@houseofheat) <a href="https://twitter.com/houseofheat/status/1961524260825956668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">EXCLUSIVE: The Nike KD 19 Debuts Summer 2026. Shown is what the shoes will look like.</p><p>More Info: <a href="https://t.co/4K0Gc11Ow0">https://t.co/4K0Gc11Ow0</a> <a href="https://t.co/7OMUjg6J4D">pic.twitter.com/7OMUjg6J4D</a></p><p>— SneakerFiles.com (@sneakerfiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/sneakerfiles/status/1959016271670124763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>From first glance, the Nike KD 19 appears in a “Bright Ceramic” completely encased upper, likely by a foamposite or solid synthetic material. The shoe also features a prominent “zig-zag” throughout the upper, likely undulated to create texture throughout the shoe. While the low-cut silhouette has been common in the Nike KD line over the last few years, this flat outsole and lack of midsole will be a first for the signature line.</p></figure><p>The shoes also garner similar looks to the newest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers/detailed-look-at-new-nike-gt-future">Nike GT Future</a>, a clear indication of the direction Nike is heading in the next couple of years. It’s being reported that rapper <a href="https://www.nocta.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqJhKDjyE5vK445Xb1FkZeOi552eDwdFW_m7sO9gY58x-y2wSKe">Drake’s signature Nike NOCTA</a> will collaborate with Durant to debut the KD 19 in the summer of 2026, where the shoes will retail for $185</p><p>What are your thoughts on Durant’s latest sneaker?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant’s new Nike sneaker has been leaked

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-nba-2k-messages-launch-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Kevin Durant’s NBA 2K messages on launch day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant1.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Kevin Durant’s NBA 2K messages on launch day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T10:38:13-07:00">August 29th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T10:38:13-07:00">August 29th, 10:38am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ahead of his first season with teh Houston Rockets, All-Star Kevin Durant was eager for NBA2K 26’s release that he couldn’t hide his excitement on social media. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-kevin-durant-returns-championship-ceremony-opening-night">Durant makes his Rockets debut against the champion</a> Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center, but before thinking about that, Kevin was ready to play the newest NBA2K as the offseason is coming to an end. However, the special early access to the game didn’t happen smoothly.</p><p>Due to high demand, NBA2K 26’s lauch day lagged, which <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1961464210744840216" rel="noopener">triggered a response</a> from Durant, who addressed the game’s company on his X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“How long NBA2K? Too much traffic???” an impatient Durant posted on the game’s launch day. Once the issue was resolved and NBA2K 2026 was successfully launched, Durant showed his appreciation in a follow-up post.</p><p>“Preciate ya,” Durant <a href="https://x.com/KDTrey5/status/1961463395976089900" rel="noopener">said</a> to NBA2K’s X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Durant has said a lot on social media throughout the offseason. While responding to fans’ trolling and addressing various topics, Kevin rarely shies away from comments geared towards him, including a dig by Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards. When Edwards poked fun at Durant’s social media activity by bringing up his potential burner accounts, and his age, KD, 36, clapped back at Ant-Man’s child support cases at the tender age of 22.</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant fights with fan over Michael Jordan comparison</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the anticipation of Kevin Durant’s Rockets debut in a competitive Western Conference builds, he hasn’t shied away from the chatter on social media. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-fights-fan-michael-jordan-comparison">Durant had a back-and-forth over Michael Jordan</a> with a fan on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>When a fan suggested Jordan was above Durant as the best NBA scorer of all time because he was a true three-level scorer, <a href="https://x.com/KDTrey5/status/1957740634137325763" rel="noopener">it sparked a response</a> from Durant.</p><p>“Mike would tell u ima 3 level scorer,” Durant said before adding. “Mj is one of one. Rare air that can’t be touched but I’ve made those same shots for over a decade lol.”</p><p>The fan replied with a video montage of Jordan’s plays at the rim over his career, which triggered another response from Durant.</p><p>“See now you’re changing the topic. I see what u did there lol..” he added.</p><p>Durant will make his Rockets debut against the Thunder on October 5.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Kevin Durant’s NBA 2K messages on launch day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-patrick-beverley-thinks-kevin-durant-vs-larry-bird-isnt-close');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patrick Beverley thinks Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird isn’t ‘close’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Patrick-Beverley-thinks-Kevin-Durant-vs.-Larry-Bird-isnt-close.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Patrick Beverley thinks Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird isn’t ‘close’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T09:01:58-07:00">August 27th, 9:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T09:01:58-07:00">August 27th, 9:01am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Patrick Beverley weighed in on one of the NBA’s most debated comparisons, choosing Kevin Durant over Larry Bird in decisive fashion. On the latest episode of the Pat Bev Pod, the veteran guard said the debate between the Houston Rockets star and the Boston Celtics legend is not “<a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960693588729196703" rel="noopener">close</a>“.</p><p>When asked by co-host Adam Ferrone to choose between Durant and Bird in his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/10-best-players-nba-history-according-chatgpt">top-10 all-time player rankings</a>, Beverley gave a direct answer.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s close, KD. What are we talking about?”</p><p>Ferrone countered by highlighting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/check-out-larry-birds-incredible-1-08-million-car-collection-with-photos">Bird’s legacy as a three-time champion</a>, three-time MVP, and a cornerstone of the NBA’s growth during the 1980s.</p><p>“I mean we’re talking about Larry Bird, one of the best players of the entire decade of the 80’s. A guy who has like a lot of championships. A guy who played really good defense, a guy who was loyal to his squad and was an incredible shot maker, incredible playmaker and if he was playing in today’s game [he] would’ve probably burned it for like six to nine threes a game.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I don’t think it’s close. KD. What are we talking about? … If Kevin Durant was playing what Larry Bird was playing, he would average 50.”</p><p>Patrick Beverley says he would put KD over Bird higher in his all-time top 10 of NBA greats 😲</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/PatBevPod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatBevPod</a>)<a href="https://t.co/WCTSUSwwuU">pic.twitter.com/WCTSUSwwuU</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960693588729196703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Patrick Beverley says Kevin Durant would dominate in Larry Bird’s era</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Suns-forward-Kevin-Durant-shields-the-ball-from-Celtics-guard-Jaylen-Brown.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Beverley dismissed the notion, arguing Durant’s talent would have been unmatched in Bird’s era.</p><p>“If Kevin Durant was playing when Larry Bird was playing, he would average 50 [points],” Beverley said.</p><p>Ferrone interjected, “Nobody was averaging 50.”</p><p>Beverley pushed back, pointing to Durant’s combination of size, ballhandling, and scoring ability.</p><p>“Kevin Durant would’ve been. Who [are] you going to put on him? Back then your four was a traditional four,” Beverley said.</p><p>“This is the thing that I don’t think older players and younger players understand, right. If the game was more physical, what you think? Us nowadays hoopers will go like, ‘aw f–k it, I quit.’ Like na motherf–ka, we was going to find a way. We’re smart enough, our IQ is high enough that we go, ‘okay they [are] playing physical, I gotta do this.’ What makes people think that if the physicality had changed that players now couldn’t play then? Like we would just die. Steph [Curry] couldn’t play in this era because it was too physical – no, he would’ve found a way to be successful just like he’s finding a way to be successful at 37 years old, 36 years old, all the way down to he got drafted.”</p><h2><b>Beverley highlights Durant’s all-around game as Bird debate fuels generational NBA discussion</b></h2><p>Beverley concluded his argument by emphasizing Durant’s complete skill set.</p><p>“When you talk about a handle at that size, ability to play pick &amp; roll, on the other end his ability to rim protect and get blocks. It’s Kevin Durant.”</p><p>The debate between Durant and Bird continues to generate conversation among players, analysts, and fans. Bird’s reputation as one of the most clutch and versatile forwards of his generation often positions him near the top of historical rankings. Durant, meanwhile, remains one of the NBA’s most dominant scorers of the modern era, a two-time champion and former MVP who has redefined the forward position with his combination of shooting and length.</p><p>Beverley’s comments add to the ongoing generational discussion that compares stars across eras. Whether Durant’s offensive versatility would have dominated in the 1980s, or whether Bird’s legacy of championships and leadership holds greater weight, the conversation highlights the complexity of measuring greatness in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patrick Beverley thinks Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird isn’t ‘close’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-isiah-thomas-tells-draymond-green-kevin-durant-saved-golden-state-dynasty');   ga('set', 'title', 'Isiah Thomas tells Draymond Green that Kevin Durant saved Warriors dynasty');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Warriors-news-Isiah-Thomas-tells-Draymond-Green-that-Kevin-Durant-saved-Golden-State-dynasty.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Isiah Thomas tells Draymond Green that Kevin Durant saved Warriors dynasty</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T10:35:26-07:00">August 26th, 10:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T10:35:26-07:00">August 26th, 10:35am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Detroit Pistons legend and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas credited Kevin Durant with <a href="https://x.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1960351721399386148" rel="noopener">saving</a> the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-stephen-curry-bold-claim-golden-states-dynasty">Golden State Warriors’ dynasty</a> during a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show. Speaking directly with Warriors forward Draymond Green, Thomas said Durant’s arrival shifted the narrative of the franchise and cemented its place in NBA history.</p><p>Thomas did not hold back when reflecting on Golden State’s trajectory before Durant joined the team in the summer of 2016.</p><p>“Let me make a bold statement here, and I hope this don’t upset you,” Thomas told Green. “Before Kevin Durant arrived in Golden State, y’all were on the verge of being remembered as the team that went 73-9 and lost to a Cleveland Cavaliers team in the Finals up 3-1 and probably one of the biggest collapses in NBA Finals history – from a 73-9 historical team. Kevin Durant comes that summer and really saves y’all basketball legacies, and you win two championships after that. And now the Golden State Warriors dynasty that you’re going to go in the Hall of Fame on and everything else is cemented because if Durant don’t come that summer and you guys are remembered as the 73-9 team that lost [up] 3-1 in the NBA Finals, all of your legacies are different.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/2018-nba-finals-how-kevin-durant-changed-the-nba-by-going-to-the-warriors">Durant signed with Golden State in free agency</a> following the Warriors’ historic 73-9 regular season and their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/10-greatest-teams-to-lose-in-the-nba-finals">Finals defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016</a>. His addition created one of the most dominant cores in league history, alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Isiah Thomas believes Kevin Durant saved Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green basketball legacies</p><p>“Before KD arrived in Golden State y’all were on the verge of being remembered for one of the biggest collapses in NBA Finals history.”</p><p>(Via <a href="https://twitter.com/DraymondShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DraymondShow</a>) <a href="https://t.co/kgKUR1j80a">pic.twitter.com/kgKUR1j80a</a></p><p>— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1960351721399386148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Isiah Thomas tells Draymond Green that Kevin Durant’s titles cemented Warriors’ dynasty</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kevin-Durant-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The move resulted in immediate success. Golden State went on to capture back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-kevin-durant-accidentally-won-second-finals-mvp-stephen-curry">Durant earning Finals MVP honors both years</a>. The Warriors also reached the Finals in 2019, though injuries derailed their pursuit of a three-peat, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-kawhi-leonard-championship-teammate-predicts-titles-if-he-stayed">lost to the Toronto Raptors</a>.</p><p>Thomas’ comments reflect a long-running debate about how Durant’s decision to join Golden State impacted both his legacy and that of the Warriors. While some critics argued that Durant joined a ready-made contender, others have maintained that his presence elevated the team to an unprecedented level and ensured its dominance in the latter half of the decade.</p><p>For Green and his teammates, those years solidified their reputations as part of a modern NBA dynasty. Golden State’s four championships from 2015 to 2022, along with six Finals appearances in eight years, marked one of the most successful stretches in league history. Durant’s role in that run continues to be a defining subject of discussion.</p><p>Durant, now with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-7-teams-blockbuster">Houston Rockets following an offseason trade from the Phoenix Suns</a>, remains a central figure in the NBA’s landscape. His time in Golden State remains one of the most scrutinized chapters of his career, but also one of the most decorated.</p><p>Thomas’ remarks underscore the pivotal nature of that era. Without Durant’s arrival, he suggested, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-former-gm-bob-myers-confident-73-9-season-never-be-broken">Warriors’ historic 73-9 season</a> might have been overshadowed by their collapse in the 2016 Finals. Instead, the championships that followed have framed Golden State as one of the defining dynasties of the 21st century.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Isiah Thomas tells Draymond Green that Kevin Durant saved Warriors dynasty

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-gm-rafael-stone-surprising-confession-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets GM Rafael Stone makes surprising confession about Kevin Durant trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rockets-GM-Rafael-Stone.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Image</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets GM Rafael Stone makes surprising confession about Kevin Durant trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-24T09:21:55-07:00">August 24th, 9:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-24T09:21:55-07:00">August 24th, 9:21am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone revealed the long process it took to trade for Kevin Durant. For many, trading for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-title-nba-insider">Durant turned the Rockets into championship contenders</a>. However, a surprise take from Stone was that he didn’t celebrate after completed the historic trade that involved seven teams, which is the most in NBA history. 13 players were involved, including Houston’s Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and  No. 10 pick in this year’s draft.</p><p>When the dust from the blockbuster trade settled, Stone admits <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR-SMuMahg8" rel="noopener">he was exhausted</a>, but happy to finally land Durant ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, he said, per ESPN Houston.</p><p>“I definitely didn’t celebrate. It was long. Like, we understood what they wanted to get for Kevin, and it just didn’t make sense for our team — starting, I don’t know, a year ago,” Stone said. “So, there were all these conversations, and it was a very, very long process. I think from my perspective — obviously, we did the trade. We’re really happy with it. I’ve gotten to know Kevin a little bit, and I’m really happy with him as a person.</p><p>“But the flip side of that is — Dillon and Jalen were just awesome. As people and as co-workers, they were amazing. We were the number two seed last year, on a very, very, very young team. And I thought we played Golden State really tough,” Stone concluded.</p><p>Without parting ways with All-Star Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet, Rafael Stone and the Rockets still have a strong supporting cast to surround Durant with. With potential to average a double-double, Jabari Smith Jr., 22, had a promising year. Houston also signed Dorian Finney-Smith, who made 41.1% of his attempted threes last season, to a four-year deal.</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant’s harsh reality for a potential Rockets extension</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rockets-forward-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-kevin-durant-could-take-20-million-pay-cut-contract-extension">Rockets will look to extend Kevin Durant’s contract</a> at some point throughout or after the 2025-26 campaign as he’ll enter the season on the final year of his four-year deal, which is worth $54.7 million. Durant will most likely ink a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/could-kevin-durants-contract-extension-with-rockets-be-for-considerably-less-than-max" rel="noopener">short-term deal</a>, according to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin.</p><p>“The contract has to be short in this case, but what is a fair number for the future Hall of Famer? One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max but still $50 million a season,” Helin reported. “However, maybe that number is too high. Maybe Durant will take less — he has the right to make whatever choice he thinks is best for him, his legacy and his family.”</p><p>The Rockets will host the Hawks in their preseason opener on October 6.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets GM Rafael Stone makes surprising confession about Kevin Durant trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-buy-sell-houston-win-nba-title-kevin-durant-tenure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets Buy or Sell: Houston will win NBA title during Kevin Durant’s tenure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Houston-will-win-NBA-title-during-Kevin-Durants-tenure.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets Buy or Sell: Houston will win NBA title during Kevin Durant’s tenure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T14:41:32-07:00">August 21st, 2:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T14:41:32-07:00">August 21st, 2:41pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When James Harden decided he wanted to continue his career elsewhere during the 2020-21 season, the Houston Rockets were left without an identity. Roughly four seasons later, the Rockets recently claimed the 2-seed in the Western Conference and built a young core with a lot of potential. Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-trade-suns-jalen-green">Kevin Durant is joining the mix</a> to try to bring a championship to the Rockets.</p><p>A lot has happened in Houston through the years.</p><p>Alperen Sengun became one of the faces of the Rockets’ rebuild, and Ime Udoka has completely changed the lackluster culture that haunted this organization when Harden requested his trade.</p><p>Last season, Houston won 52 games, their most in a single season since Harden and Mike D’Antoni led the team to 53 wins and an appearance in the Western Conference Semifinals. Coincidentally enough, both seasons ended with the Rockets losing in the playoffs to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>Rapid growth from Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and other young pieces to the puzzle led general manager Rafael Stone and his staff to face tough decisions this summer.</p><p>For years, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-rafael-stones-response-flawed-jalen-green-question">Rockets preached internal growth and sustainability</a>. No matter what questions he faced, Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta always shot down the speculation that this franchise would leverage assets they’ve stockpiled through the years during their rebuild to add a superstar in trade talks.</p><p>Well, the Rockets’ leadership went back on their word, as they pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason by acquiring 15-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. This deal came at the cost of Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th-overall pick in this year’s draft (Khaman Maluach), and five second-round picks.</p><p>The Rockets got good value in this trade for Durant.</p><p>He is obviously the player this team believes is the final piece to being on the same level as the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference, and they didn’t sacrifice much of their young core. Any team with Durant always has a chance to contend at the top.</p><p>On the flip side, the Rockets went away from what was working and developing their young core further, and this franchise has now put itself on the clock to compete for a championship.</p><p>At the end of the day, this decision was made to increase the Rockets’ chances of winning a championship right now. However, does adding Durant as the face of the franchise ensure that Houston will win a title over the next few years?</p><h2><b>Why Rockets’ title chances increased after Kevin Durant trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Rockets-head-coach-Ime-Udoka-Rockets-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Durant is a legendary talent.</p><p>Even after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, Durant has not skipped a beat and is still among the best pure scorers in the NBA. In terms of his percentages, he may be a more efficient player post-Achilles than he was before the injury.</p><p>Not many athletes in general are able to return after such a career-altering surgery, yet Durant is just as lethal as he was earlier in his career.</p><p>That is why the Rockets decided to take a chance on him, especially since this team’s biggest weakness that Golden State exposed in the playoffs was the fact that they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/jalen-green-nba-playoffs-rockets-kevin-durant-giannis-trade-market">didn’t have a clear No. 1 scoring option</a> to turn to when times were tough.</p><p>When you look at the top teams in the West, each of them has <i>“that guy” </i>who always shows up and has the ball in big moments.</p><p>The Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For the Denver Nuggets, the guy is Nikola Jokic. Curry has the ball when the Warriors need to score, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have Anthony Edwards. The Los Angeles Lakers can take things one step further since they have both Luka Doncic and LeBron James.</p><p>The point is that Houston looked lost at times in the playoffs since Sengun is only an efficient scorer in the paint, and Green was hesitant at times to try and take over the game offensively.</p><p>While Amen Thompson emerged throughout the season and in the postseason, he is still developing his all-around offensive game. If anyone will benefit immediately from playing alongside Durant, it will be Thompson.</p><p>By adding Durant to their roster, the Rockets will be able to breathe a major sigh of relief at times on offense since they know he will get his points. Now, it’s all about Udoka figuring out the rotations around Durant and setting his other dynamic scorers, like Thompson and Smith, up for success.</p><p>As far as talent on the court, the Rockets are in a better spot than they were during the 2024-25 season to compete for a title with Durant headlining their roster.</p><h2><b>Why Rockets’ title chances decreased after Kevin Durant trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kevin-Durant-vs.-Jabari-Smith-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Durant’s arrival sets the Rockets’ offense up for more immediate success, could his presence stunt the growth of other youthful players on this roster outside of Sengun?</p><p>Aside from losing a dynamic scorer in Green, who is still just 23 years old, Durant’s presence could now limit Smith’s overall role.</p><p>Perhaps gaining knowledge from Durant and playing alongside him will unlock a new, better path for Smith, and this will ultimately be the best decision the Rockets ever made. After all, playing Smith, Durant, and Sengun on the court together gives the Rockets an extremely lengthy front line.</p><p>Then again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-reveals-late-bloomer-athletic-journey">will Smith be any better than he was last season</a> if he’s constantly playing off the ball and standing in the corner as a catch-and-shoot option offensively? Until we actually see this team play 20-25 games, it’s hard to say what Smith’s role will be alongside Durant.</p><p>Another yellow flag worth discussing is the Rockets’ defense.</p><p>Last season, Houston ranked fourth in defensive rating and was elite at defending on the perimeter with Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Amen Thompson. Well, Brooks is no longer in the equation for Udoka, and the Rockets won’t ask Durant to give it his all defensively out of precaution.</p><p>Is Tari Eason ready to step up and fill Brooks’ minutes? Can Dorian Finney-Smith be leaned on so heavily throughout the regular season and be ready for playoff basketball?</p><p>Two other concerns directly involve Durant. What will his availability look like throughout the regular season, and is Durant’s long-term future in Houston?</p><p>Whether or not the Rockets monitor Durant’s minutes closely and constantly play him in back-to-backs is something to monitor. After all, he is turning 37 years old soon and has dealt with some soft tissue injuries with the Suns.</p><p>Recently, Tim MacMahon of ESPN <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=ev8OrlESrpcZyEW6&amp;t=1765&amp;v=KtG6snHrVa4&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener">threw cold water</a> on the idea of Durant getting a contract extension before the 2025-26 season. The Rockets wouldn’t have made this trade for the legend if he wasn’t going to stay, but just how long will Durant ultimately sign for?</p><p>Maybe the Rockets fall short of their goals during the 2025-26 season, and Durant only signs a two-year contract. This basically puts the organization on the clock to win in a two-year span before he either leaves or eventually retires.</p><p>The Rockets had a really good thing going for themselves with Sengun and Green as the focal points of a young, high-potential core. By sacrificing Green, this organization has taken a big risk and is putting all of their eggs in one basket with Durant.</p><p>While this could ultimately pay off and the Rockets could win the Western Conference with one of the best scorers this league has ever seen, there are a lot of outstanding intangibles that loom large.</p><p><b><i>BUY OR SELL HEADLINE: </i>Sell — Kevin Durant’s contract situation and the Rockets still developing their young core loom large.</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets Buy or Sell: Houston will win NBA title during Kevin Durant’s tenure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-fights-fan-michael-jordan-comparison');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Kevin Durant fights with fan over Michael Jordan comparison');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Durant-vs-the-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Kevin Durant fights with fan over Michael Jordan comparison</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T08:43:36-07:00">August 21st, 8:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T08:43:36-07:00">August 21st, 8:43am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-sad-jalen-green-admission-kevin-durant-trade">Houston Rockets made</a> arguably the biggest splash of this NBA offseason by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-kevin-durant-could-take-20-million-pay-cut-contract-extension">acquiring Kevin Durant</a> from the Phoenix Suns. Durant joins a young Rockets squad that secured the second seed in the Western Conference last season, but whose need for a true halfcourt scoring threat was more than clear in their first round playoff loss vs the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>Durant, as he’s been known to do, <a href="https://x.com/KDTrey5/status/1957740634137325763" rel="noopener">recently took to X</a>, formerly Twitter, to argue with NBA fans and trolls alike, including one who was upset with a list naming Durant a better pure shot creator than Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.</p><p>“Mike would tell u ima 3 level scorer,” Durant retorted.</p><p>Durant also conceded that “Mj is one of one. Rare air that can’t be touched but I’ve made those same shots for over a decade lol.”</p><p>When the fan replied by showing a montage of some of Jordan’s most impressive layups of his career, Durant saw exactly what they were doing.</p><p>“See now you’re changing the topic. I see what u did there lol..” he added.</p><h2><b>A generational piece for the Rockets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Durant-vs-the-Thunder.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Rockets were a great story throughout the regular season last year that captured the imaginations of basketball fans everywhere, many were concerned heading into the playoffs that Houston’s lack of a true number one scoring option would come back to bite them.</p><p>That’s exactly what happened in the first round vs the Warriors, as the lights proved to be far too bright for shooting guard Jalen Green, who ended up becoming part of the return package that brought Durant to Houston this summer.</p><p>With Durant now in the fold, the Rockets have shored up their biggest weakness with one of the greatest pure shot makers in NBA history, who is still getting things done at an elite level at the age of 36 (37 before the season starts).</p><p>In any case, Durant will be in the house to watch his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, raise their championship banner when the Rockets and Thunder kick off the NBA season on October 21 in Oklahoma City.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Kevin Durant fights with fan over Michael Jordan comparison

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-sad-jalen-green-admission-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Alperen Sengun makes ‘sad’ Jalen Green admission about Kevin Durant trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jalen-Green-and-Alperen-Sengun.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Alperen Sengun makes ‘sad’ Jalen Green admission about Kevin Durant trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-18T07:19:47-07:00">August 18th, 7:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-18T07:23:37-07:00">August 18th, 7:23am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have never experienced an NBA season without one another. The duo joined the Houston Rockets as the headliners of the team’s 2021 draft class. However, following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-7-teams-blockbuster">the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Rockets</a>, Green will star for the Western Conference rival Phoenix Suns next season.</p><p>Sengun <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWENVYOCiO8" rel="noopener">admitted it was difficult</a> to see one of his closest friends traded.</p><p>“I was sad when he left. He was like my brother. I was sad when I got the news,” the Rockets star said in an interview with Socrates Degri. “I was very sad—but at the same time, Kevin Durant is coming. Still, Jalen was my brother. I called Jalen right away and told him how I felt: “I hope this trade motivates you even more.” Because I believe Jalen is going to be a really great player. Sometimes he battles with himself, but I think he won’t do that anymore and will mature even more in his game. I truly believe he’s going to be a big player. I wish him all the best. We’re still talking, and I’ll bring him to Turkey too.”</p><p>Green started all 307 of his appearances over four seasons with the Rockets after the team drafted him No. 2 overall in 2021. While he put up big numbers, averaging 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 42/34/80 shooting splits, he didn’t live up to expectations.</p><h2>Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun separating following blockbuster trade</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jalen-Green-and-Alperen-Sengun-2.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-jalen-green-106-million-contract-extension">Houston signed Green to a three-year, $106 million contract extension</a> at the beginning of last season. However, many speculated that the team gave him the bloated contract to use him as the main salary filler in a star trade. The Rockets did just that in July, trading the guard alongside Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick in the draft for Durant.</p><p>Green will move forward as a core piece for the Suns as they attempt to navigate the fallout from the failed Durant era. Despite fit concerns, he will start in the backcourt alongside Devin Booker.</p><p>Meanwhile, Durant will serve as the star veteran to a young, ascending Rockets core that features Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard. The team also features veterans Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet alongside <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/houston-rockets-2025-nba-free-agency-grade-for-every-signing">offseason acquisitions Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela</a>.</p><p>The Rockets have the second-best odds (+500) to win the Western Conference this season, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (+140), per FanDuel Sportsbook. They are tied with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets for the third-best odds (+850) to win the NBA title, behind only the Thunder (+240) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (+700).</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Alperen Sengun makes ‘sad’ Jalen Green admission about Kevin Durant trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-jeff-teague-shades-michael-jordan-kevin-durant-lebron-james-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jeff Teague shades Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant with bold LeBron James take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jeff-Teague-shades-Michael-Jordan-Kevin-Durant-with-bold-LeBron-James-take.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Jeff Teague shades Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant with bold LeBron James take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T13:15:45-07:00">August 15th, 1:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T13:15:45-07:00">August 15th, 1:15pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the latest episode of the Club 520 Podcast, former NBA guard Jeff Teague weighed in on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-why-lebron-james-left-off-austin-rivers-best-scorers-ever-list">Austin Rivers’ recent comments about LeBron James’ scoring ability</a> — and in the process, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VTYQq6IOLM" rel="noopener">threw pointed shade</a> toward Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant.</p><p>Rivers had left James off his personal list of the greatest scorers in NBA history, citing Durant, Carmelo Anthony, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the most skilled offensive players he had seen. Teague agreed with parts of Rivers’ assessment but pivoted to highlight what he sees as James’ rare, game-changing impact.</p><p>“He’s 100% accurate, though. We didn’t care how many shots Iverson took, or Kobe, or whoever it was. If they shot 40 shots but had 45 points. It was the moments,” Teague said.</p><p>“If they got hot in the fourth and they won the game, that’s what we remembered. We didn’t care that they missed their first 15 shots. It was what they did in the clutch and that’s what made them special to us.”</p><p>Teague then addressed Durant’s standing in the conversation.</p><p>“As far as the NBA and scoring – I think Kevin Durant is one of the most skilled players and skilled scorers, but that don’t make him the best scorer. I think if I can get the basket just as efficient as you, but however I do it, I’m the best scorer then LeBron scores just as many points as anybody.”</p><h2><b>Jeff Teague praises LeBron James while critiquing Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Rockets-news-Kevin-Durant-defended-criticizing-Michael-Jordan-retirements.jpg"><figcaption>© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-year-23-workout-video-emerges">James, 40, is entering his 23rd NBA season</a> and currently ranks as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 42,184 points. In his 22nd season and seventh with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and one steal per game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three across 70 appearances. Over his career, the four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP has averaged 27 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 34.9% from deep in 1,562 games.</p><p>Durant, 36, finished his 17th NBA season averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43% from three across 62 games. Earlier this offseason, the two-time NBA champion and 2014 MVP was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-7-teams-blockbuster">traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets</a>. He ranks eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 30,571 points.</p><p>Jordan, 62, played 15 NBA seasons — 13 with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Washington Wizards — averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 32.7% from three. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-michael-jordans-agent-lebron-cherry-picking-championships">six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP</a> ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 32,292 points.</p><p>Teague further described James as someone whose enjoyment for the game came from more than just putting the ball in the basket.</p><p>“He enjoyed throwing fancy passes more than he did scoring. When he was in high school, when he threw a fancy pass, he would get hype. I think he got more of a kick out of that than scoring the basketball.”</p><h2><b>Teague says LeBron’s ability to elevate teams sets him apart from Durant, Jordan</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/LeBron-James-and-Michael-Jordan-on-court-during-halftime-during-the-2022-NBA-All-Star-Game.jpg"><figcaption>© David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Teague did not point to a specific season, James’ career provides multiple examples of carrying rosters beyond expectations. Most notably, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-larry-nance-jr-reveals-top-5-nba-moments-fathers-day">led the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals</a> despite a midseason roster overhaul and limited depth. In 2007, at just 22 years old, James also guided an underdog Cavaliers squad past the top-seeded Detroit Pistons to reach the Finals for the first time in franchise history.</p><p>Teague contrasted James’ ability to elevate teams with Durant’s, questioning whether the Rockets star could replicate that kind of run with a less-talented roster.</p><p>“I think that’s what makes him so great is that he can elevate teams. You know how I feel about Kevin Durant, I think he’s one of the best players ever, but I don’t think he has the ability to take a questionable team and elevate them dudes to a certain level.”</p><p>He also compared James’ impact to other stars in NBA history — and in doing so, critiqued Jordan’s approach.</p><p>“You’ve gotta be generational. That’s what made Chris Paul special; that’s what made LeBron very special. It’s a rare few people that can just do that. Even Mike couldn’t do that. I’ll win the game by myself but he really didn’t make people better. He challenged some other people to get better — he challenged Scottie like, ‘You gotta be stronger, you gotta be this.’ He led by example.”</p><p>In Teague’s view, LeBron James’ greatness is defined less by scoring skill and more by his ability to raise the level of everyone around him — a quality he believes even some of basketball’s most celebrated legends never possessed to the same degree.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jeff Teague shades Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant with bold LeBron James take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-continues-going-after-twitter-users-over-strong-claims');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Kevin Durant continues going after Twitter users over strong claims');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kevin-Durant-complains-about-a-call.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Kevin Durant continues going after Twitter users over strong claims</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T20:27:08-07:00">August 14th, 8:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T20:27:43-07:00">August 14th, 8:27pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-James Harden era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his free time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter and Instagram for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets fans entered Thursday afternoon hyped for the release of their 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule. Kevin Durant and Co. will open up the season visiting the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder on October 21, 2025.</p><p>Until then, however, Kevin Durant continues to go after his critics on social media.</p><h2><b>Rockets’ Kevin Durant continues going after Twitter users over bold claims</b></h2><p>Kevin Durant is no stranger to trolls, and his activity on social media suggest he actually enjoys the banter of going back and forth with fans and haters alike.</p><p>In a few recent exchanges, Durant made sure to give his critics a piece of his mind.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did you guys play varsity in high school?</p><p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1956123482926072016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can you guys answer the question above <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeDropperPod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DimeDropperPod</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Jacobtheclipper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jacobtheclipper</a></p><p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1956129080463777827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">No!!! That’s why I reply, your opnion means nothing and I HAVE to consistently tell you that. Not just you, most of the people on here</p><p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1956128328576065597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>This comes after one of the league’s best scorers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-ruthlessly-eviscerates-fan-diminishing-greatness">responded to a Twitter user</a> who disagreed with the idea of calling him the, “greatest scorer of all time.” </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">30k points on low fga. Ima coaches dream. Dime dropper, I mastered scoring at 24 years old man. Give it a rest, I don’t care about being the best scorer ever. You are diminishing my all time greatness callin me that</p><p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1954238188148670466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That led to a <a href="https://x.com/KDTrey5/status/1954238188148670466">back-and-forth on Twitter</a>, and that continued into Thursday evening.</p><p>Just a few days ago, when the NBA announced that Durant and the Rockets would open up the season in front of the Oklahoma City Thunder, fans began debates about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-kevin-durants-tight-lipped-okc-jersey-retirement-response">whether or not Durant deserved</a> to have his jersey retired.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">U don’t want me to answer this but what I will say, muse pages and Stan accounts don’t make none of these decisions..</p><p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1954920188454773220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Kevin Durant will be playing for his fifth NBA franchise, but the fourth in 10 seasons. After leaving the Warriors, Durant has played two-and-a-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and two-and-a-half seasons with the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>Kevin Durant will be entering his 18th year in the NBA next season, playing 1,123 regular season games and 170 playoff appearances. In his 17-year NBA career, Durant has averaged 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.1 block per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 39 percent from three during the regular season.</p><p>In his postseason career, Durant has averaged 29.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Kevin Durant continues going after Twitter users over strong claims

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/liz-cambage-kevin-durant-dating-rumors-drake-concert');   ga('set', 'title', 'Liz Cambage sparks Kevin Durant dating rumors with Drake concert IG Story');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Liz-Cambage.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Liz Cambage sparks Kevin Durant dating rumors with Drake concert IG Story</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-13T06:13:41-07:00">August 13th, 6:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-13T06:13:41-07:00">August 13th, 6:13am</time><address><a>Andrew Korpan</a>Andrew Korpan is the lead entertainment editor and film critic for ClutchPoints. He's also an award-winning author and Ken Jeong's best friend.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Rumors that former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/wnba-stories/wnba-news-liz-cambage-1-million-contract-chinese-team">WNBA star Liz Cambage</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-kevin-durant-accidentally-won-second-finals-mvp-stephen-curry">Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant</a> are dating after an Instagram Stories post of them at <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-devin-booker-kevin-durant-reunite-at-drake-show-in-london">Drake’s latest concert</a>.</p><p>On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Cambage <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/ecambage/3697798872274607382/?hl=en" rel="noopener">posted an image of her</a> with Durant. “Shooters only,” she wrote while tagging Durant’s Instagram account. In the photo, Cambage is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClutchPointsNBA/posts/kevin-durant-hanging-out-with-liz-cambage-at-a-drake-concert-via-ecambage-ig-/1183770953794484/" rel="noopener">motioning as if she shot a basketball</a>. They are both smiling in the picture. Her next Instagram Stories post was of Drake performing on stage.</p><p>So, at the very least, Cambage and Durant appear to be friends. We will have to see if this high-profile relationship begins. Durant’s former teammate, Klay Thompson, recently went viral for his relationship with Megan Thee Stallion.</p><h2><b>Are Liz Cambage and Kevin Durant dating?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fans will have to wait and see if Cambage and Durant confirm the rumors. They appear to be friends hanging out, if nothing else. It is a situation to monitor in the coming weeks if they continue to hang out.</p><p>Cambage is a former WNBA star. She was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. She played for the now-defunct Tulsa Shock. In 33 games, she averaged 11.5 points per game. Cambage would return to the team in 2013 before leaving the WNBA for four years.</p><p>In 2018, Cambage returned to the league to play for the Dallas Wings, having a career year. She averaged 23 points per game, the highest mark of her career. She would then play for the Las Vegas Aces in 2019 and 2021.</p><p>Her last year in the WNBA was in 2022. She played for the Los Angles Sparks, averaging 13 points per game. In between her WNBA stints, she played for the Zhejiang Chouzhou, Beijing Great Wall, Shanghai Swordfish, Melbourne Boomers, and the Shanxi Flame.</p><p>While she has only played six seasons in the WNBA, Cambage is a four-time All-Star. She has also played London’s 2012 women’s basketball team.</p><p>Durant, meanwhile, is heading into his first season with the Rockets. He was traded in a groundbreaking seven-team trade during the 2025 NBA offseason.</p><p>He played the last two full seasons with the Phoenix Suns after being traded there during the 2022-223 NBA season. Durant previously played for the Seattle Supersonics (and subsequently the Oklahoma City Thunder), Golden State Warriors, and the Brooklyn Nets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Liz Cambage sparks Kevin Durant dating rumors with Drake concert IG Story

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-kevin-durant-accidentally-won-second-finals-mvp-stephen-curry');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Kevin Durant ‘accidentally’ won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Stephen-Curry-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Kevin Durant ‘accidentally’ won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-12T22:23:42-07:00">August 12th, 10:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-12T22:23:42-07:00">August 12th, 10:23pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors were a cheat code when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-stephen-curry-remembers-2024-olympic-avengers-in-style">Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry played together</a> from 2016 to 2019. Their partnership led to back-to-back titles, with Durant being named Finals MVP twice.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-steph-curry-on-championship-aspirations-year-16">When Curry led the Warriors to the title</a> in 2022 and won his first-ever Finals MVP, he finally crossed out the only thing missing from his game-changing legacy.</p><p>Prior to the feat, fans were chastising him for not having the said award despite having multiple rings, claiming that it’s the true hallmark of greatness.</p><p>While Curry had a strong run in the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Durant shone brighter, highlighted by his dagger three-pointer in Game 3, which practically sealed the Finals MVP for him.</p><p>Former Warriors guard Quinn Cook, however, made an <a href="https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/steph-curry-kevin-durant-nba-finals-mvp/1867465/" rel="noopener">eye-opening revelation</a> about Durant, which showed how much he valued Curry as a teammate after their first championship together.</p><p>“Kevin wanted Steph to get that Finals MVP the next year so bad. That’s all he was talking about all season, like, ‘I can’t wait until Steph gets his Finals MVP so he can shut up everybody, the naysayers,'” claimed Cook, as quoted in a report from NBC Sports Bay Area’s Tristi Rodriguez.</p><p>“I think in Game 2 (of the 2018 NBA Finals), that’s when Steph broke the record, he had nine threes. Then Game 3, we were struggling, Steph was struggling, and Kevin just accidentally walked into 40 (points). Then you just look at the numbers statistically, I think Kevin had a triple-double in Game 4. He wasn’t even as aggressive. That’s just how good he is. He just accidentally got the Finals MVP back-to-back.”</p><p>It’s now pointless to compare the numbers of Durant and Curry during that run. After all, in the end, it’s the crown that mattered for them.</p><p>The two future Hall of Famers have maintained a close relationship over the years despite parting ways. Their mutual respect is much bigger than a shiny trophy. That’s not accidental.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Kevin Durant ‘accidentally’ won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-kevin-durants-tight-lipped-okc-jersey-retirement-response');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Durant’s tight-lipped Thunder jersey retirement debate response');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Durant-vs-the-Thunder.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kevin Durant’s tight-lipped Thunder jersey retirement debate response</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-11T15:28:50-07:00">August 11th, 3:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-12T07:36:55-07:00">August 12th, 7:36am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-lakers-rockets-warriors-mavs-nba-christmas-schedule">Oklahoma City Thunder recently learned</a> that their opening night opponent for the 2025-26 NBA season will be the Houston Rockets. This means that the Thunder will be raising a banner and receiving their championship rings in front of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-kevin-durant-returns-championship-ceremony-opening-night">former franchise cornerstone Kevin Durant</a>, who was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Rockets this summer.</p><p>One debate that has been brewing in NBA social media circles recently is whether or not Durant should have his No. 35 jersey eventually retired by the Thunder organization. Recently, Durant himself took to X, formerly Twitter (as he has been known to do), to weigh in <a href="https://x.com/KDTrey5/status/1954920188454773220" rel="noopener">on the debate.</a></p><p>“U don’t want me to answer this but what I will say, muse pages and Stan accounts don’t make none of these decisions…” replied Durant to a fan who asked him if he thought his number should be retired by Oklahoma City.</p><h2><b>A complicated legacy for Kevin Durant</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Russell-Westbrook-and-Kevin-Durant-share-a-laugh.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Taking things in a vacuum, there would be absolutely no question that Kevin Durant, who won multiple scoring titles and a league MVP award during his time with the Thunder, should one day have his jersey hanging in the rafters of the PayCom Center.</p><p>Durant and co-star Russell Westbrook led the Thunder on multiple deep playoff runs, including one to the NBA Finals in 2012, and their imprint on the franchise (and the assets they ultimately received as a result of their departure) undeniably set the stage for the team’s current run of success.</p><p>However, the way Durant left the organization in the summer of 2016 left a major cloud hanging over that relationship as he joined the 73-win Golden State Warriors, who had defeated Oklahoma City in the playoffs just over a month prior after trailing that series 3-1.</p><p>The ensuing near-decade has seen a back and forth between Durant and Thunder fans that has largely taken place on social media, and it sure doesn’t seem that the two sides see eye-to-eye on what Durant’s legacy is in Oklahoma City.</p><p>In any case, Durant will be in the house to watch his former team hang their 2025 championship banner ahead of their game on October 21st.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant’s tight-lipped Thunder jersey retirement debate response

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-kevin-durant-could-take-20-million-pay-cut-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets rumors: Kevin Durant could take over $20 million pay cut on contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant_4f2578.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets rumors: Kevin Durant could take over $20 million pay cut on contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-11T07:15:56-07:00">August 11th, 7:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-11T07:15:56-07:00">August 11th, 7:15am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the Houston Rockets’ trade for All-Star Kevin Durant makes them title contenders for the upcoming season, many are wondering why they haven’t signed him an extension. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/kevin-durant-potential-rockets-extension-hit-with-harsh-reality">Durant’s potential extension with the Rockets is crucial</a> for the team’s future. With a young supporting cast that will only improve in a competitve Western Conference, adding Kevin has only increased Houston’s chances of competing with the champion Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>And Durant could be willing to <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/could-kevin-durants-contract-extension-with-rockets-be-for-considerably-less-than-max" rel="noopener">take a significant pay cut</a> on a short-term extension, per NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin.</p><p>“The contract has to be short in this case, but what is a fair number for the future Hall of Famer? One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max but still $50 million a season,” Helin reported. “However, maybe that number is too high. Maybe Durant will take less — he has the right to make whatever choice he thinks is best for him, his legacy and his family.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-takes-jab-thunder-response-ring-night-matchup">Rockets will look to spoil Thunder’s ring ceremony</a> when they face the champions at the Paycom Center on Opening Night. Durant, who spent his first nine seasons with the Oklahoma City organization, will watch it raise its first championship banner in franchise history.</p><h2><b>Will Rockets ink Kevin Durant to a max extension?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rockets-All-Star-Kevin-Durant-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets have had since July 1 to offer their newest All-Star, Kevin Durant, to a contract extension. However, Durant <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtG6snHrVa4" rel="noopener">may not push for a max extension</a>, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.</p><p>“By all appearances and by what I’ve heard, they’re not going all in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” MacMahon said. “Now, doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but there’ve been rumblings of KD not going to push for the full max. I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max.”</p><p>Rockets will most likely ink Durant a short-term deal, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.</p><p>“I think the Rockets are like it’s not ideal, but I don’t think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he’s on just on the on the expiring deal,” Windhorst said. “Rafael Stone, since he’s been the GM of the of the Rockets, he’s signed quite a few giant contracts, but a lot most of them have been short.”</p><p>Durant and the Rockets will face the Thunder on October 21.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.6	6.0	4.2	1.2	0.8

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.6	6.0	4.2	1.2	0.8

Kevin Durant news

Kevin
Durant news