Kevin Durant Prioritizes Team Flexibility with $90 Million Extension, Aiming for Fifth Olympic Gold

Kevin Durant has come to terms with the Houston Rockets on a two-year extension worth $90 million, as reported by ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania on Sunday.

The 37-year-old forward was in line for a maximum extension of $120 million but chose to forego some financial gain to allow his new team greater flexibility under the salary cap following his trade to the Texas franchise in July.

The updated contract guarantees the next two years and also includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. With the 2025-26 regular season kicking off on Wednesday, the Rockets, led by coach Ime Udoka, will face the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, at Paycom Center on Tuesday.

Prior to teaming up with Turkish sensation Alperen Sengun at the Rockets, Durant participated in 1,293 NBA games across his tenures with the Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics. He clinched two NBA titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, earning Finals MVP honors both times. Moreover, he was named the season MVP during the 2013-14 season.

On the international stage, Durant has represented the United States in FIBA competitions, securing Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2024. As the first men’s basketball player to win four golds, he aims to capture a fifth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he earned the title of tournament MVP and also achieved a gold medal alongside an MVP award in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

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