Durant joins the Rockets, will the Rockets defensive system collapse?

If Kevin Durant wears the Rockets jersey, what will happen to the tactical board of this Western Conference powerhouse? From trading chips to team offensive and defensive system, to future salary space, behind this potential blockbuster transaction is a complex game where opportunities and risks coexist. The rise of the Rockets this season depends largely on the second-place defensive efficiency in the league (109.8). But Durant's joining may break this balance - at the age of 36, he is moving and declining, and his contribution to assisting defense is no longer as good as before. The Suns' defensive efficiency this season is only 18th, which is not unrelated to Durant's physical distribution tends to attack. Indeed, the Suns, who have defended, have ended miserably for two consecutive years, and the Rockets' defensive ability is exactly the team Durant expects to have. The Rockets' defensive resources may be able to "guaranteed". The forward group composed of Jabbarry Smith, Ethan and Dillon can still make up for Durant's shortcomings in the defensive end through rotation. In addition, Adams' return will enhance the inside frame protection and further liberate Durant's defensive pressure. If the Suns retain Booker in the offseason, they may refuse to completely rebuild. For the Rockets, the ideal situation is to complete the transaction at a lower cost (such as Smith), which not only retains the young core, but also uses Durant's superstar influence to attract more free agents to join.

Durant's trading rumors reflect the Rockets management's ambitions: they want to seize Shin Kyung and Smith's rookie bonus period to win, but they are unwilling to completely overdraw the future. If the chips are right, Durant's arrival can help the Rockets break through the ceiling of the second round of the playoffs; but if you pay too much for the transaction, the team may repeat the mistake of the Nets and the Suns' "superstar mode collapse".

The free market in the summer of 2025 is about to open. Should the Rockets choose to believe in the growth of young people, or use Durant to start the script of "winning in the present"? The answer may be hidden in the performance in the playoffs - the worse the results, the stronger the management's impulse to "seek change".

However, Durant's need to hold the ball may change the Rockets' existing tactical ecology. The "multi-point breakthrough + defensive counterattack" system that coach Uduka previously created requires the ball rights to further tilt towards Durant, which puts higher requirements on Amen Thompson's field control ability and young players' off-ball running.