Kevin Durant Accepted $30M Pay Cut in Rockets Extension to Facilitate Team Building
Houston, TX – Kevin Durant knowingly accepted a roughly $30 million reduction in potential earnings on his new contract extension with the Houston rockets, opting for financial flexibility for the franchise, according to reports Sunday. Shams Charania of ESPN reported Durant was aware he wouldn’t receive the full two-year,$120 million max extension he was eligible for upon being traded from the Phoenix Suns.
Rockets general manager Pat Kleiman communicated to Durant that the sacrifice would allow for “team-building flexibility,” Charania reported. Durant “understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he would be sacrificing money on a new deal…so that the two sides could partner for the long term,” Kleiman reportedly said.
The extension, finalized Sunday, guarantees Durant $144.7 million over three years, with a $54.7 million salary for the current season. Despite the reduction, the deal elevates Durant to the top of the NBA’s all-time career earnings list at $598.2 million, surpassing LeBron James’ $583.9 million.
The move allows Houston to build around its emerging core, including All-Star centre Alperen Şengün, who recently signed a five-year, $185 million extension, and first-team all-Defensive wing Amen Thompson. David Aldridge of The Athletic noted Durant’s willingness to compromise stems from his desire to win, stating the financial leeway will be “needed during his extension seasons.”
The Rockets are also expected to reach an agreement with forward Tari Eason on a rookie extension before Monday’s deadline, and veteran point guard Fred VanVleet is “almost certain” to exercise his $25 million player option for the 2026-27 season, despite a recent ACL tear. The team-amiable deal positions the Rockets as potential contenders in the Western conference for years to come.
