The Phoenix Suns' failure to reach the postseason has ignited speculation about a potential trade involving star player Kevin Durant. While initial reports suggested a "mutual interest" between Durant and the Houston Rockets, recent updates indicate that the Rockets pursuing Durant is "less likely" than previously thought.

ESPN's Shams Charania initially reported the possibility of Durant joining the Rockets, stating, "There is going to be a level of mutual interest—there has been already—with them and Kevin Durant with the Suns. Seeing how [the Rockets] do [in the playoffs], listen if they win a couple rounds, they might be good where they're at. If you lose early, you don't win enough to where you want to, could you look at a guy like Kevin Durant once again this offseason?"

However, NBA reporter Marc Stein later tempered these expectations, suggesting that the Rockets' interest in Durant may have cooled. Stein noted that Durant's timeline may not align with the Rockets' young core, potentially hindering a potential partnership.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Durant's future, the Houston Rockets are focused on their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. The team secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after winning 52 games this season. While adding Durant could bolster their championship aspirations, the Rockets must consider the potential impact on their long-term plans.

As the Rockets prepare for their playoff matchup, Dillon Brooks addressed the media, humorously stating, "I don't know. I'm not gonna get ejected. I'll leave that to somebody else," when asked about the possibility of ejections during the series.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Daigneault emphasized the importance of perimeter defense in the modern NBA, noting, "Rim protection matters and has a downstream effect on your defense, for sure, but so does perimeter play. The league has become increasingly perimeter-oriented on offense even if you look at some of the best bigs in the league. They’re the best bigs because of what they do on the perimeter as bigs. So, the game has evolved into a more perimeter-oriented game. There’s more pace, there’s more space, there’s more three-point shooting than ever, which puts a premium on perimeter defense as well."

Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray expressed his belief that the team has been consistently overlooked, even after winning the 2023 title. "We’ve always been overlooked, what’s new?" Murray questioned. "We’re just worrying about ourselves. We’re just trying to get to Game 1 and win the game. We’re not really on all the narrative stuff you guys got going on. I just have a lot of belief in this group. I’m ready to go out there and hoop and show the world what we can do."