Before Game 7 of this year’s NBA Finals tipped off, the NBA world was stunned by a Kevin Durant blockbuster deal, sending him to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in next week’s 2025 NBA draft and five second-round picks.

It also sent a shockwave through the odds board at sportsbooks, as the Rockets moved from the 12-1 range to around +750 to win the 2025-26 NBA championship. Those are the consensus second-best odds behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are well ahead of any other team at +230.

“Good trade for Phoenix, adding Jalen Green and the 10th pick is the right direction,” Jeff Sherman, vice president of risk at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook told Yahoo Sports via text message. “We lowered Houston from 12-1 to +900 just based on perception. They should be in the mix no doubt, I just like the return for Phoenix better than what the Rockets got in a 37-year-old they have to extend.”

The New York Knicks (+900), Indiana Pacers (+950) and Cleveland Cavaliers (11-1) had the next-best consensus title odds at sportsbooks.

“Having someone who can score in the half court was exactly what Houston was lacking all season, and it cost them dearly in the playoffs,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City (a BetMGM book) told Yahoo Sports via text. “While this will be Durant’s 18th season, he can still generate offense in the half court, even if he doesn’t get to the basket as much as he used to. He should help a very young Rockets team, even if it’s only a short stint.”

Sherman and other oddsmakers did have Houston as the second-best team in the West in their power ratings, but cautioned the ranking was simply as of today’s trade, noting, for example, if San Antonio traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo that could vault them to No. 2.

“We slightly lowered the Rockets’ title odds,” Jeff Benson, director of sportsbook operations at Circa Sports said via direct message on X. “They upgraded and didn’t give up a ton, especially the good young guys.”

The +750 odds are the best for the Rockets since the 2019 season, per Sports Odds History, when Houston was +700.

After weeks of speculation, Kevin Durant is heading to the Houston Rockets following a trade on Sunday. And the star forward found out about the blockbuster trade while onstage at Fanatics Fest.

Durant was part of a star-studded lineup at the festival, which took place in New York City this weekend. His onstage appearance turned into a breaking news incident, as news of the trade dropped while Durant was speaking as part of a “Global Game Changers” panel at the event.

Fan videos show audience members shouting to Durant that he had been traded to Houston. Durant and moderator Taylor Rooks looked confused for a moment, with Durant asking the crowd to repeat what they’d said, before finally catching on to what had happened.

Rooks then asked Durant how he felt about heading to Houston — a sentiment that led to a mixture of boos and commotion from the crowd.

“We’re gonna see man, we’re gonna see,” Durant replied, with a smile.

Rooks did her best to move on with the interview, asking Durant about his go-to gameday song. Durant’s answer? “Raining in Houston,” by Drake.

After the panel, Durant told Kay Adams that he’s “looking forward” to being Rocket. “Crazy, crazy last couple weeks, but I’m glad it’s over with,” Durant said.

Durant admitted that the trade wasn’t a total surprise.

“I had an idea, but I didn’t know exactly when it was gonna happen,” Durant said of the news about the trade. “I’m glad we kind of did this onstage, it worked out.”

The forward added that he had a role in the trade, and had given Houston as one of his preferred destinations. When asked why, Durant said that the Rockets were coming off a “great season” and that he felt he’d be “a good addition.”

Throughout the conversation, Durant said that he was very happy with the trade.

“You know when people can just hang your career in the balance like and just choose what they wanna do with your career is a nerve-wracking feeling, but being able to kind of dictate what you wanna do, and being with a team that values you, I’m looking forward to it,” Durant said.

After a Phoenix Suns superteam didn’t quite work out like they’d hoped, Durant will be moving on to his fifth team in his storied career (six, if you include the Seattle SuperSonics). The 36-year-old forward will now head to Houston, adding a veteran All-Star presence to a team anchored by up-and-coming players like Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün.

The trade is just the latest shift in the Western Conference, which has seen several massive blockbuster deals over the past year, including the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade, De’Aaron Fox going to the San Antonio Spurs and Jimmy Butler joining the Golden State Warriors.

Kevin Durant is on the move, concluding weeks of speculation about where the superstar forward would land. 

The Phoenix Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets, in exchange for Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Phoenix also received the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks as part of the trade.

The deal will not officially go through until July 6, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, due to a restriction in Green’s rookie extension, which he signed last October. The second-round picks in the trade will stretch to 2032, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Earlier this month, Durant had reportedly narrowed his preferred destinations to three places, including Houston. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Phoenix was deep in discussions with the two finalists — the Rockets and Miami Heat — throughout the weekend before agreeing to a deal with Houston on Sunday morning.

Durant found out about the trade’s completion while appearing at Fanatics Fest in New York. 

“Being part of the Houston Rockets, I’m looking forward to it,” Durant said. “It’s a crazy, crazy couple weeks, but I’m glad it’s over with.”

Durant said the Suns had asked him where he preferred to be traded. “I gave them some of my destinations, and here we are,” Durant said. 

What trade means for Rockets

Durant will join an emerging Rockets team that is anchored by rising stars Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün, as starters Green and Brooks are sent to Phoenix. The Rockets made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020 as the No. 2 seed in the West. They lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors. 

The acquisition of Durant signals Houston’s intent to take the next step and challenge the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder next season. They part with a key member of their young core in Green in the process. 

Green, 23, was the focus of Houston’s offense last season and led the Rockets with 21 points per game. But he struggled in Houston’s playoff loss to the Warriors while averaging 13.2 points per game and shooting 37% from the field. Now he’ll join a Suns team as a secondary scorer alongside Devin Booker. 

Durant, who will be 37 next season, remains one of the game’s elite scorers and shotmakers who will slot in as the focal point of Houston’s offense. The hope in Houston is that the two-time NBA champion can raise Houston’s profile to that of a championship contender. 

Suns failed to build a competitor around Durant, Booker

The trade ends a two plus-season run with the Suns after Durant joined Phoenix from the Brooklyn Nets via a blockbuster deal prior to the 2023 NBA trade deadline. The Suns acquired Durant in exchange for a package that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round picks to Brooklyn.

The intent in Phoenix was to pair Durant alongside Booker in hopes of competing in the stacked Western Conference for an NBA title. They never reached contention as teammates.

Durant recovered from a knee injury in time for the 2023 playoffs after landing in Phoenix and helped the Suns advance to the second round. The Suns beat the Clippers before losing to the eventual NBA champion Nuggets. That turned out to be the peak of the Durant era in Phoenix.

Durant played 75 games the following season in his first full campaign with the Suns. Phoenix finished 49-33 in 2023-24 and earned the No. 6 seed in the West. The Suns were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Timberwolves.

Failed season a prelude to Durant deal

This past season was a failure in Phoenix that led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Budenholzer in April after one season. A top-heavy Suns roster was not competitive in the West and missed the playoffs after a 36-46 campaign that was good for 11th place in the conference. 

It was reported after Budenholzer’s dismissal that the Suns would work with Durant to find him a new team. Now he has one.

Durant isn’t the player he was in his MVP prime. But he remains an All-Star-level force at 36 years old and reportedly drew interest from multiple teams seeking to contend for a championship, including the Timberwolves, Rockets and Heat.

Durant made his 15th career All-Star team in 2024-25 and finished the season with averages of 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He shot 52.7% from the field and 43% from 3 and remains one of basketball’s most lethal and efficient scorers.

The trade represents the latest seismic shake-up in the Western Conference, following the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade, the deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs and another that sent Jimmy Butler to the Warriors during the season.