Kevin Durant Shakes Head at Fans at Fanatics Fest After Rockets Trade

The Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets while the NBA legend was on stage with Taylor Rooks at Fanatics Fest in New York on Sunday. 

Durant later spoke to Kay Adams and revealed why he wanted to get traded to the Rockets. 

“They just had a great season last year,” Durant said. “Love their leadership. And I felt like I’d be a good addition.”

Houston went 52-30 this season. Ime Udoka and Co. were the second seed in the West and made the postseason for the first time since 2020. 

The Rockets did lose to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in seven games, but now the team is adding Durant, the eighth-leading scorer in NBA history. 

As Fanatics Fest went on, Durant took a seat at a table and fans underneath him spotted the NBA icon and threw stuff at him for him to sign. 

Durant, 36, didn't appreciate that and shook his head. 

The Suns-Rockets blockbuster trade can be formally completed when the new league year begins on July 6.

Durant remains a lethal offensive weapon despite turning 37 in September. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points for the Suns in 2024-25 while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line. 

A top 75 player of all time, Durant has one year left on his contract. The future Hall of Famer can extend with Houston for up to two years, $122.1 million starting on July 6.

The Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. 

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Durant has had stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He won four scoring titles and the 2014 MVP Award with OKC and back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs with Golden State in 2017 and 2018.

Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 1,123 NBA games. He will no longer have to pay state income taxes since he's moving to Texas.

Udoka worked with Durant in 2020-21 when the two were on the Brooklyn Nets. It will be fascinating to see how many games the Rockets win next season.