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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on March 2, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets already have buyer’s remorse over trading for Kevin Durant last offseason to improve their title chances. Houston came off a tremendous overachieving season as the second seed, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Durant hit the trade market at the same time as the Rockets realizing they needed to add another superstar to truly contend.

However, lackluster chemistry this season and a couple of recent rough losses are exposing the flaws. Ashish Mathur reported the following about Houston’s regret:

“Some members of the Houston Rockets regret trading for Kevin Durant last offseason. While Durant is putting up stellar numbers and the Rockets are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, the team’s chemistry and camaraderie haven’t been as good as they were last season, sources said. ‘A lot of guys miss Jalen and Dillon,’ one source said. ‘Kevin hasn’t bonded with anyone here yet.’”

Durant’s presence has given the Rockets another elite scorer to increase their ceiling, but the floor is also lower compared to last year. Houston has no chance at the second seed, and most expect to finish fifth or sixth to lose out on home court advantage in the first round.

Rockets Miss Players Traded For KD

The offseason trade looked great for Houston when they acquired Durant in exchange for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Both players were Rockets starters last year, but they were viewed as expendable. No one could have forecasted Houston’s players missing them this much.

The report claims that players feel the chemistry is off and that they no longer have the same camaraderie with Durant. Houston sacrificed chemistry and an organic rise in favor of ring-chasing with a legendary player. Unfortunately, it currently looks like a mistake unless they can contend for the title come playoff time.

Durant is playing effective basketball, but the Rockets lack a point guard to run the offense. Fred VanVleet could fix some of the on-court issues once he’s back. However, the report about the chemistry being off will still linger if Durant isn’t fitting into the locker room.

Kevin Durant’s Burner Potentially Ruined Season

A lot of Houston’s issues started to surface after the story about Durant’s Twitter burner account broke during All-Star weekend. Durant allegedly blamed Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith for the team’s flaws. No statement was made beyond Durant saying he’s not talking about this story to the media.

The Rockets have looked less impressive since the break, and the team shows chemistry issues during live games. Durant has butted heads with head coach Ime Udoka over his role in the offense to show conflict growing within the franchise.

Houston must salvage the season by winning games to end the regular season strong and make their impact come playoff time. Both the franchise and this trade will be judged on playoff success. Another first round exit would make this season a huge failure and put more of a negative spotlight on Durant for hurting the team’s chemistry for the same results.