The LA Clippers were far and away from the Houston Rockets’ offer for Kevin Durant, and with just one more regular season left on his books, the Phoenix Suns decided to let go of loose threads and trade him. Houston got their dream pairing of a Hall-of-Fame with a young core led by Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün.
However, Rockets fans will be tense all season with no knowledge of how Durant truly feels about the team. He could be planning to play in Houston for a season and go with the flow next summer in free agency.
His decision could turn out to be a bidding war, and because the Clippers have wanted Durant for years, they could be in the race. Other teams, like the Miami Heat, will have interest, yet LA would be incredibly wrong by making an offer to the two-time champion next summer if he opts out of the extension route in H-Town.
Age is why the Clippers would be making a massive mistake by targeting Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant’s dedication to basketball has made his playstyle flawless, and something that age cannot even affect. Similar to others in his stature, like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Durant could have old, gray hair at the age of over 40, and will still be the first option on a top seed, averaging the same range of points he always has been.
An aspect that Durant brings, that sits outside of his playstyle, is the number of games he plays. He was mostly healthy for Phoenix, but his injury history has been on display in the past. The Houston Rockets landed Durant at the perfect time, as he was healthy in the Valley and averaged 26.6 points for the Suns on 52.7-43.0 splits.
On the contrary, the LA Clippers will regret their decision if they successfully target Durant in the free agency of 2026. This will be a significant matter, as the maximum contract desired from his side would not be worth paying because of his age.
Many fans would question what the Clippers were thinking if he was given the top dollar from Lawrence Frank despite going into the 2026-27 regular season at 38 years old. James deserves this amount, and Curry may receive this type of money from the Golden State Warriors at this age due to loyalty, but the list ends there, and Durant should not make the cut, at least from LA’s point of view.