After signing 'no brainer' Rockets extension, Durant is ready for liftoff

HOUSTON — Kevin Durant said Monday that signing an extension with the Houston Rockets was a "no brainer".

Durant spoke of the deal a day after he signed the two-year extension that could keep the superstar with the Rockets through the 2027-28 season, and a day before playing his first game with the team after a blockbuster summer trade.

"I'm excited," he said after practice. "That's what the intent was when I came here — to try to build with this group as long as possible. So, it was a no brainer to sign on that line."

The second year of the extension is at Durant's option. ESPN, which first reported the agreement, cited Durant's business partner Rich Kleiman and said it could be worth $90 million. If Durant plays both seasons as planned, that $90 million would push his career on-court earnings to nearly $600 million — which could be an NBA record, depending on how long LeBron James continues to play.

Durant — a 15-time All-Star, one of only seven players in NBA history with that many selections — was eligible for an extension that could have been worth $122 million. He opted for less, a move that will provide the Rockets plenty of flexibility for other deals going forward.

Durant said discussions with general manager Rafael Stone and coach Ime Udoka made him feel good about the deal they agreed to.

"Talking to Rafael and Ime, how they wanted to build the team and how I see myself in this organization, I just thought it was a perfect contract for us," he said. "So, I'm glad we could get that out of the way. We won't have to worry about external noise throughout the season if I didn't have the contract signed. So (now we can) just worry about basketball and focus on the season."

The Rockets open the season Tuesday night against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Teammate Alperen Sengun was thrilled to learn that Durant would be staying with the Rockets beyond this season and said it meant a lot to see him take less money to remain in Houston.

"We see how bad he wants to play, how bad he wants to win," Sengun said. "I saw he took a pay cut, too, and that's important. We already know how much he cares about the team, how much he helps everybody. So happy to see that."

Durant joined the Rockets from Phoenix in July as part of a seven-team trade that sent Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, and Dillon Brooks to the Suns. With Durant on the team, and point guard Fred VanVleet out for the season with a knee injury, the Rockets plan to employ a jumbo starting lineup to start the season.

Udoka said Monday that Durant, Sengun and Steven Adams, who are all 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter), and the 6-foot-10 Jabari Smith Jr will start against the Thunder, with Amen Thompson, a 6-foot-7 forward, moving to point guard.

Durant admired the Rockets leadership from afar before joining the team, and was impressed with how Houston climbed out of the NBA's basement in the last two seasons under Udoka after being among the league's worst teams in the three seasons before his arrival.

Houston finished second in the Western Conference last season before losing to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

"Just how dedicated they were to turning this around and making Houston a contender again," he said. "Very dedicated to the city of Houston and the franchise. I could feel that as an opponent. To walk in here every day, you see the attention on detail from everybody. Not just the leadership of Rafael, Ime and (owner) Tilman Fertitta, but everybody who works here has the level of detail that it takes to become a successful team and franchise."

"So, I'm happy I'm a part of that," he continued. "I'm going to keep working and building, and show my worth here."

Udoka has already seen Durant have an impact on his team this preseason and believes his decision to sign the extension could be a boost for his young players.

"You see a guy that's as accomplished as he is, and he sees the talent and the potential that we have and … the young guys being around that only brings more confidence for sure," Udoka said. "A guy that's been around as much, and played in different systems, just to be that complimentary of these young guys — yeah I think it rubs off on them."

Houston is the fifth franchise the 37-year-old Durant has played for, and Tuesday will mark the beginning of his 18th NBA season, after he missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury. He's been impressed with the team's young core since his arrival and is eager to see what they can do this season.

"They seem very experienced and professional, and that just is a testament to the organization and those guys as individuals that they care about their craft," he said. "So it made it easy just to come in here and fit in. Everybody has been incredible thus far, and I'm looking forward to the start of the season."

Agencies Via Xinhua