In a league where blockbuster trades are practically tradition, the NBA may be on the verge of rewriting its own history. According to The Athletic, the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns are working to expand the Kevin Durant trade into a record-setting seven-team deal, a logistical marvel that could reshape multiple franchises and set a new standard for front-office creativity.
The teams currently involved in negotiations include the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, alongside the Rockets and Suns. While the core of the trade remains centered around Durant’s move to Houston, the sheer scale of the deal is unprecedented.
At the heart of the deal is Kevin Durant’s long-anticipated departure from Phoenix that is already set in stone. The 36-year-old superstar is heading to the Rockets, who are aggressively pivoting from rebuild to contention. In return, the Suns are receiving a package headlined by Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and multiple draft picks—assets that offer both immediate help and long-term flexibility.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are sending Clint Capela to Houston in a sign-and-trade, giving the Rockets a defensive anchor to pair with Alperen Şengün and newly acquired Steven Adams. Only five players from last season’s NBA rosters are currently involved in the deal: Durant, Green, Brooks, Capela, and Daeqwon Plowden.
The rest of the assets—mostly draft rights and players from previously agreed-upon trades—are being shuffled to align salaries and maximize value across all seven teams. These include draft-night deals that cannot be finalized until July 6, when the NBA’s new league year officially begins.
This isn’t just about Durant. The inclusion of seven teams allows front offices to consolidate multiple transactions into one massive, synchronized move. It’s a way to streamline cap management, reroute unwanted contracts, and extract value from trades that might otherwise be limited by timing or salary constraints.
For example, the Lakers and Warriors are reportedly playing tertiary roles, helping facilitate the deal by absorbing or redirecting contracts tied to earlier trades. The Nets, who originally dealt Durant to Phoenix in 2023, are also involved—possibly to finalize lingering pick obligations or to acquire additional assets.
For the Rockets, this is a bold, win-now gamble. Adding Durant to a core that includes Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Alperen Şengün signals a full commitment to contention. The potential starting five of VanVleet, Thompson, Durant, Smith, and Şengün offers a tantalizing mix of shooting, defense, and versatility.
If finalized, this would become the largest trade in NBA history, surpassing last summer’s six-team deal that sent Klay Thompson to Dallas. It would also mark a rare moment of league-wide cooperation, where nearly a quarter of the NBA’s franchises align their interests in a single, sprawling transaction.
