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Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets controls the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of Game Two of the NBA Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
The Detroit Pistons are on the brink of elimination after going down 3-1 against the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. With their current predicament, the Pistons, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, have already gotten numerous suggestions about upgrading their roster, including from former NBA player Jeff Teague.
According to Teague, the Pistons should trade for Durant in the offseason if their season wrapped up in a massive upset loss to the Magic in the playoffs.
“They (are) desperate for another scorer and Kevin Durant is still playing at a high level,” Teague said in the Club 520 podcast. “That would take so much pressure off Cade and so much pressure off Kevin Durant to do everything. I think it would be an easy fit.”
Jeff Teague says Detroit needs to trade for Kevin Durant:
“They desperate for another scorer and Kevin Durant is still playing at a high level, that would take so much pressure off Cade and so much pressure off Kevin Durant to do everything. I think it would be an easy fit.”
Outside of Cunningham, the Pistons have struggled to find offense and on-ball creation from their players. In an offense that has been heavily predicated on Cunningham, a Durant trade makes sense in the grand scheme of things for the Pistons.
However, to pull it off, the Pistons must trade some of their young pieces to the Houston Rockets, a squad also made up of a young core led by Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr.
Another issue could be Durant’s age, as he is currently 38 years old. Adding him to a squad full of young players could disrupt the team’s timeline.
Nevertheless, Durant’s offense remained as potent as ever this season, putting up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game for the Rockets, which finished fifth in the Western Conference.
Durant is currently nursing a knee injury that has sidelined him for most of the Rockets’ first-round series against the LA Lakers.
GettyDetroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham may find some offensive help in Kevin Durant.
In a recent report by The Ringer, the Pistons were revealed to be among the 22 teams with interest in trading for Kevin Durant if the Rockets make him available in the upcoming offseason.
“The Heat, Timberwolves, Blazers, Mavericks, Pistons, Knicks, Raptors, Hawks, Magic, Lakers, Nuggets, Hornets, Bulls, Wizards, Warriors, Pacers, Jazz, Sixers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Bucks, and Clippers would all have varying degrees of interest—pending how the rest of these playoffs go,” it said.
Durant was traded to Houston last offseason, a move that many thought would complete the Rockets’ championship roster full of young players. However, it went awry as the team struggled to establish an identity this season and went down 0-3 in their first-round series against the Lakers.
Durant has not won a playoff series since 2023.
GettyPistons must win Game 5 against the Magic to extend series.
The Pistons will be avoiding a catastrophic end to a promising season in Game 5 in Detroit. A loss there would eliminate them from the playoffs, putting to waste a 60-win season, their first in 20 years
Meanwhile, the Magic look to complete a massive upset, following a tumultuous run to the playoffs, which saw them lose their first play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers before knocking out the Charlotte Hornets to secure the No. 8 seed.
Game 5 is scheduled on Wednesday, April 29. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m Eastern time in Detroit.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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