Kevin Durant finds out about his trade to Houston Rockets at Fanatics Fest 2025

NBA icon Kevin Durant has just been traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets — what makes the story truly shocking, however, is how he found out the news.

Durant was present at the Fanatics Fest, which was taking place in New York City on June 22. A viral video circulating the internet shows the 36-year-old forward as he learned about his trade while appearing onstage as part of the “Global Game Changers" panel at the star-studded event.

As Durant was fielding questions, the crowd began to yell about the trade. KD appeared confused for a moment before asking the crowd to repeat what they were saying. Moderator Taylor Rooks then stepped in and said:

"You're headed to Houston. How does that sound?"

To which Kevin Durant responded:

"We're gonna see man, we're gonna see.”

This will be the fifth destination in Durant’s career thus far, and a homecoming of sorts as he played his college basketball as a Longhorn at the University of Texas.

Kevin Durant traded, other news

After the panel had concluded, Kevin Durant spoke with commentator Kay Adams about the one in slightly more detail, adding that he was "looking forward" to the challenge of carving out a place for himself in a new city:

"Crazy, crazy last couple weeks, but I'm glad it's over with. I had an idea, but I didn't know exactly when it was gonna happen. I'm glad we kind of did this onstage, it worked out."

Before the move, Kevin Durant had shared a contingent of teams he was willing to accept a trade to, and the Houston Rockets were near the top of that list. They are a youthful squad, fresh off a successful season, and Durant believes to have the veteran presence necessary to allow them to take the next step toward the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Interestingly, the news of Durant’s departure from Phoenix came just hours before the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers were set to square off in a deciding Game 7 of the 2025 NBA championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant’s first professional destination, were ultimately victorious.

As per ESPN, the terms of the trade for Kevin Durant were as follows:

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“Durant's trade was an exchange between the Suns and the Rockets, as the Phoenix team will get Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the tenth overall pick in Wednesday's draft and five second-rounders.”

The Rockets made positive strides this past season and look to add to that success with the addition of an all-time great. This development will be great for the team and the city of Houston.

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