Rockets could throw Alperen Sengun in trade deal for Kevin Durant with potential to draft Donovan Clingan: Report
The Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets rumors have picked up steam ahead of Wednesday's 2024 NBA Draft Day. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst has dropped a bombshell report hours before the annual event, saying the Rockets' No. 3 selection could play a pivotal role in the draft for the team.
According to Windhorst, if the Rockets manage to draft Donovan Clingan, which across mock draft boards seems a likely outcome, they could dangle rising star Alperen Sengun in the package to lure Phoenix to trade their superstar forward.
“One thing I want to point out: watch what the Rockets do tonight with the number three pick," Windhorst said. "This is one of the most important moments of the draft, and in many cases, this is where the draft kind of starts."
"If the Rockets take Donovan Clingan out of UConn, another center, which is an option for them, and now have a bunch of centers on their roster, that would potentially enable them to make Alperen Sengun, their very talented young Turkish center, available in that type of trade to dangle in front of the Suns."
Durant hasn't asked for a trade, while the Suns reportedly remain uninterested in breaking their core after only one full season. However, several teams have folded when they've been made an offer they couldn't refuse. This storyline will grab all the headlines leading up to Wednesday's day one of the NBA Draft.
Houston Rockets pressing to make a win-now move for Kevin Durant
The Houston Rockets don't seem to be interested in another year without postseason basketball after adding more veterans to their core last year. However, they couldn't get the job done and are now aiming higher, coveting a trade target like Kevin Durant.
According to Windhorst, the Rockets are interested in tempting the Suns "now" into forcing them to trade Durant, who they acquired at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline in a blockbuster trade that sent Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to Brooklyn.
Houston's intentions are clear to go after Kevin Durant as they struck a deal with the Nets to get the Suns' first-round picks instead of keeping the 2025 and 2026 selections, two seemingly solid draft classes.
The Rockets only struck that deal on Tuesday, right after the Knicks and Nets engaged in a blockbuster deal to ship Bridges to New York and pair up with his former Villanova teammates, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
The Rockets could have dealt the picks with the Nets before, too. However, according to Windhorst, they engaged in that trade now solely to bait the Suns into trading Kevin Durant.