Kevin Durant is not playing for the Houston Rockets against the Los Angeles Lakers, but the bigger question may now be whether the NBA superstar will play for Houston again at all.
Durant is sidelined with a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, leaving the Rockets without their biggest star for a potential elimination game. Charania reported Durant was expected to miss Game 4 and could be sidelined two to three weeks in-season.
Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor responded to the news by saying the Rockets were making “the right decision” by not risking Durant’s long-term health in a series he described as effectively over.
But O’Connor’s closing line pointed to the larger uncertainty around Durant’s future.
“The only question is whether that’ll still be in Houston,” O’Connor wrote on X, referring to the remainder of Durant’s career.
The comment added to a growing round of public speculation about whether Durant’s first season with the Rockets could also be his last.
Kevin Durant is out Tonight, in Game 6, but now his Rockets Future is in Doubt
O’Connor is not the only prominent NBA voice questioning whether Durant will remain in Houston beyond the playoffs.
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe discussed Durant’s future on a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” with Lowe directly asking whether Durant would still be on the Rockets next season if Houston’s series against the Lakers ended quickly.
“If they lose this series in 5 games, let’s just say Game 5 goes badly and they lose. Is he on the Rockets next year?” Lowe asked.
Simmons responded that he “had it in my notes.”
“You know, I would lean no,” Lowe said. “I’m just going to come out and say, I would say I would lean no.”
Simmons then said he was a “hard no,” citing the unresolved questions around Durant’s absence from the bench during Game 3.
That does not mean Durant has requested a trade. It also does not mean Houston has decided to move him. But it does show how quickly the conversation around Durant has shifted from playoff urgency to offseason uncertainty.
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Durant’s injury created the immediate issue for Houston.
The veteran forward was ruled out because of a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, with Charania reporting Durant had received around-the-clock treatment but had not been cleared by doctors.
For Houston, sitting Durant is a logical decision if the team believes the series is slipping away. Durant is 37 years old, and risking a more serious injury for one playoff game would be a major gamble, especially if the Rockets are already facing long odds.
That was O’Connor’s point. The Rockets may need to protect Durant’s health beyond this postseason.
The uncertainty is whether that future will still include Houston.
Durant arrived as the kind of win-now move meant to push the Rockets into championship contention. Instead, Houston enters the Lakers game with Durant unavailable, the series in danger and national analysts already discussing whether the franchise could rethink its plan.
Rockets Could Face Kevin Durant Contract Decision This Offseason
Durant remains one of the NBA’s most accomplished active players, but his late-career movement has become part of his story. The 39-year-old has a player option for next season on his $90-million dollar contract, according to Spotrac. He’ll have leverage to force a move from the Rockets, if he choses.
After leaving the Golden State Warriors, Durant’s Brooklyn Nets tenure ended with a trade. His Phoenix Suns tenure also ended without delivering the type of deep playoff run expected from a Durant-led team. Now, after one injury-impacted postseason in Houston, the Rockets could face their own complicated decision.
Simmons noted that finding a trade partner would not be simple, given Durant’s salary, age and the mechanics of matching money in a deal. Lowe mentioned the Miami Heat and New York Knicks as speculative possibilities, though Simmons pushed back on the Knicks fit.
For now, the Rockets have a game to play. But with Durant unavailable and Houston’s season on the line, the question is no longer just when Durant will return from injury.
It is whether he will ever suit up for the Rockets again.
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