HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 08: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives against the Utah Jazz during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 08, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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Three months after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade, the Houston Rockets came to terms with Kevin Durant on a two-year, $90 million contract extension Sunday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That may sound like a ton of money for someone heading into his age-37 season, but it’s far less than he could have received.
Based on the latest salary-cap projection for the 2026-27 season ($166 million), Durant would have been eligible for a $58.1 million max salary next offseason. From there, he could have received a 5% raise in 2027-28 ($61.0 million) if he signed an extension before Jan. 6 or an 8% raise if he signed one after ($62.7 million). Either way, he could have signed a two-year deal worth around $120 million.
So, why did he take roughly $30 million less than he could have? (Aside from the $500-plus million in career earnings that he’s already banked, that is?) It’s because the threat of the NBA’s aprons is looming over everyone, even stars of Durant’s caliber.
Other stars—particularly those in the twilight of their careers—should take note.
The Rockets’ Financial Flexibility Is Drying Up
Durant’s business partner, Rich Kleiman, told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Durant “understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he would be sacrificing money on a new deal—in this case around $30 million—so that the two sides could partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.” In other words, Durant was under no illusion that he’d be receiving the same two-year max extension that Jimmy Butler signed with the Golden State Warriors upon his arrival in the Bay Area in February.
The Rockets have already shelled out nine-figure deals to Alperen Şengün (five years, $185 million) and Jabari Smith Jr. (five years, $122 million) over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson becomes extension-eligible next offseason, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line recently reported that “you’d struggle to find a cap strategist anywhere on the NBA map who isn’t penciling Thompson’s next deal as a max deal.”
Between Şengün, Smith, Thompson, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith, Reed Sheppard and Clint Capela, the Rockets already had more than $116.0 million in salary on their books for 2026-27 before signing Durant to an extension. If Fred VanVleet picks up his $25.0 million player option in the wake of his ACL injury, they’d be north of $141 million. Had Durant pushed for his full $58.1 million max salary, that would have put the Rockets in grave danger of crossing either or both of the aprons once they filled out the rest of their roster.
Based on the latest $166 million cap projection, the luxury-tax line in 2026-27 is expected to be roughly $201.7 million, the first apron is projected to be $210.7 million, and the second apron is projected to be nearly $223.7 million. If VanVleet opts out, a full Durant max would have put the Rockets at more than $174 million in salary with only eight players under contract. They would have been less than $50 million below the second apron before re-signing VanVleet and Tari Eason and filling out the rest of their roster.
It’s unclear exactly where Durant’s 2026-27 salary will land, but it figures to be around $45 million. That should give the Rockets around $13 million in extra wiggle room below both aprons, which could particularly come in handy when it comes to figuring out Eason’s future.
What Other Stars Could Learn From Durant
NBA teams have until 6 p.m. ET Monday to sign 2022 first-round picks such as Eason to rookie-scale extensions. The timing of Durant’s extension is thus particularly notable, as the Rockets now have far more clarity about their long-term financial outlook as they approach the final hours of negotiations with Eason and his camp.
In the wake of Durant’s extension, David Aldridge and William Guillory of The Athletic reported that the Rockets “are expected to reach an agreement” with Eason prior to the deadline. According to Fischer, the Rockets hope to re-sign Eason “at a number significantly lower” than the five-year, $122 million deal that they handed Smith earlier this offseason.
Even if the Rockets don’t reach an agreement with Eason by the 6 p.m. deadline Monday, Durant’s extension should help the Rockets steer well clear of the second apron in 2026-27, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted.
Things may get tighter for the Rockets financially once Thompson’s new deal begins in 2027-28, although they’ve already begun to plan ahead for that. Finney-Smith’s $13.3 million salary that season is fully non-guaranteed, while they structured Adams’ contract to descend by $1.1 million annually over the life of the deal. Smith’s new extension also starts at $23.6 million in 2026-27, dips to $21.8 million in 2027-08 before rising annually from there.
For now, the Rockets are in their mercenary era with veterans such as Durant, VanVleet (when healthy), Finney-Smith, Adams and Capela flanking their young players. If Thompson, Şengün, Sheppard, Smith and Eason pan out as they hope, they can be the foundation of the Rockets’ future. Either way, Durant’s extension now puts them in strong position to maximize their short-term title window while maintaining the long-term financial flexibility they need to not start hemorrhaging talent.
That’s the choice that the NBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement is designed to force players to grapple with. If they push for every dollar that’s available to them, it could constrict their respective teams’ ability to build around them. Stars like Durant and New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who take far less than their max salaries, give their teams a better opportunity to surround them with a championship-caliber supporting cast.
Even though NBA salaries are skyrocketing to unprecedented heights, many stars still haven’t come to terms with this new reality. Butler nuked his relationship with the Miami Heat when they refused to sign him to an extension last year. Paul George left the Los Angeles Clippers when they refused to give him a four-year max contract. (Given how his 2024-25 campaign went, they appear to have been justified in that stance.)
If more stars take after Durant and Brunson by accepting well below their max salaries, it could be the cure to the demise of Big Threes around the NBA.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
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