The Houston Rockets continue to teach the Phoenix Suns a lesson they never should have needed to learn: It’s okay to negotiate for, and with, Kevin Durant.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said that he’s heard Houston is “not going all-in on an extension,” and is instead negotiating with the two-time champ. Some are painting this as a laughable, if troubling, development for the Rockets. In reality, it’s actually brilliant.
Durant is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $118.7 million now, or a two-year deal in January that pays him up to $120.5 million. Signing him for anything less will help Houston keep more of its core together as the payroll continues to climb.
More importantly, this is an extension of how the Rockets acquired Durant from the Suns. They actually negotiated. And they ended up getting the deal done. Phoenix never did that.
The Suns failed to truly negotiate when they traded for Durant
Suns owner Mat Ishbia ended up giving the Brooklyn Nets almost everything and the kitchen sink back in February 2023. Though many understood the move in real-time, even optimists acknowledged the price paid—Mikal…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Valley of the Suns Feed…