Durant joins the Rockets for the first time talking about Westbrook: The big thing is settled, wait and see! The second young master of the Thunder reunites?

A thunder exploded during the NBA offseason: Phoenix Suns sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, in exchange for Jaylen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the first round of 2025 and 5 second round picks. When the deal was settled, Durant was attending the Fanatics Fest event in New York. Facing the cheering fans, he smiled and spread his hands: "Let's wait and see."

"Talking about Westbrook now? It's too early!" KD's prudent care and the Rockets' ambitions

The transaction was still uncertain, and the reporters have raised more sharp questions: "Will you recruit Russell Westbrook to the Rockets?" Durant smiled pursed his lips and said, "I've just solved a big thing today, let's talk about the others later." This blank sentence instantly ignited the imagination - after all, Westbrook just rejected the player option next season and became a free agent.

If Westbrook joins, it means that Houston will collect the last piece of the puzzle of "Thunder Three Young Masters". Previously, Harden and Westbrook worked briefly in the Rockets but failed in the playoffs. Durant and Harden also failed in the Nets due to injuries. This time, can the 36-year-old KD bring two old brothers to realize his dream? Fans joked: "Houston is simply a Thunder Nursing Home!" The Rockets' gambling logic: give up the future and fight to the death now

General Manager Stone's operation is crazy: sending away potential star Green + top 3D Dillon, in exchange for Durant, who is 36 years old and has only attended 62 games per season in recent years. But the Rockets' confidence comes from the triple bargaining chips:

1. That is, the combat power upgrade: KD averaged 26.6 points + 52.7% shooting percentage last season, and the hard-solution ability of the playoffs is the biggest weakness of the Rockets' first round of the game;

2. Salary Bomb: From July 7, it can renew the maximum salary of 122 million yuan for two years, and KD may become the most expensive 36-year-old veteran in the NBA;

3. Remaining the back lane: Even if it fails, tomorrow Xia will give up KD to clear 54 million space and hold 7 first-round picks from 2025-2032 and restart at any time.

More importantly, the Rockets' new lineup has surfaced: Van Vleet controls the field, Amen Thompson tears the defense, Durant + Smith swept the two forwards, and Shin Jing's low-post support. This "three high lineup" has both size and space, and is tailor-made to crack the Western melee.

18 years of reincarnation! After the Supersonic Dream continued the deal in Houston, an old photo swept through social media: the two young rookies selected by the Supersonic in 2007, Durant and Jeff Green stood side by side. Now 18 years have passed, the two will become teammates for the third time in the Rockets. "From Seattle to Brooklyn to Houston, this is fate." The fan sighed.

And this fate may not have ended yet. If Westbrook invests with the veteran's basic salary, the second Major General Dewey will join forces again after 9 years - they have fought side by side in 526 games in the Thunder and won 331 wins. This time, can Houston's red robe dye the championship gold edge?

The author's view

The Rockets' gamble seems radical, but in fact it accurately hits the time window:

Young people's growth encounters bottlenecks: Jaylen Green scores in three single-digit scores in the playoffs, proving that talent needs to be tempered by veterans;

Draft picks are no longer independent: After 2025, most of them are controlled by other teams in the first round, and it is meaningless to play badly;

The Western Conference is loose: the Warriors are aging and the Nuggets' lineup is a good opportunity to rise in troubled times.

As for Westbrook? He needs to prove that he is willing to be a green leaf. KD's task is even heavier: he must rewrite the tragic script of "Thunder Three Young Masters" into the passionate ending of the veteran's immortality.

The summer in Houston has never been so hot - because the gambling game is piled with youth, money and unfinished dreams.