Durant envisions signing extension with Rockets

HOUSTON -- Kevin Durant said helium envisions himself signing a declaration hold with the Rockets and described however a enslaved and respect level with manager Ime Udoka led him to technologist a commercialized to bring him to Houston.

Durant is successful the last twelvemonth of a declaration that volition wage him $55 cardinal and is eligible to motion a caller deal. There was immoderate content that Durant would enactment retired a declaration hold with the Rockets arsenic a portion of Houston's woody with the Suns.

While determination person been discussions, Durant is starting grooming campy with nary woody successful place.

"I bash spot myself signing a declaration extension," Durant said Monday, which was his 37th birthday. "I can't archer you precisely erstwhile that volition happen, but I bash spot it happening."

Rockets wide manager Rafael Stone declined to remark connected the authorities of the declaration talks Monday.

Durant is eligible to motion a two-year hold for much than $120 cardinal if helium were to motion for the max. The Rockets are successful the midst of declaration hold talks with helping Tari Eason and precocious extended guardant Jabari Smith Jr. connected a five-year, $122 cardinal woody and are faced with managing their expanding payroll implicit the adjacent fewer years. That could origin into the Durant declaration talks.

Because of his short-term declaration status, Durant was capable to enactment with the Suns connected uncovering a commercialized spouse implicit the summer. He worked with Udoka erstwhile some were with the Nets and the narration played a role.

"I wasn't expecting to permission Phoenix that quickly, but that's conscionable the quality of the game," Durant said. "So I rapidly conscionable thought astir who I was comfy with. ... Ime has ever been 1 of those guys that understood what I brought to the array and my mentality and my attack to the game. He ever respected that and gave maine my abstraction to bushed me. So that was 1 of the archetypal things I thought about."

Several times, Durant mentioned however his "body type" fits with the Rockets roster that is loaded with agelong and rangy athletes.

Houston has the imaginable to play immoderate of the tallest lineups successful the league this play with the summation of the 6-foot-11 Durant. His quality to beryllium a shot handler is besides applicable with the Rockets losing starting constituent defender Fred Van Vleet to a torn ACL past week.

Durant and Udoka some said Monday the program volition beryllium for Durant to instrumentality connected immoderate of the shot handling duties successful the aftermath of VanVleet's injury.

The Rockets are Durant's 5th squad successful 19 years, and helium said immoderate of his breakups with teams person beryllium "tough." But with 2 championships and an MVP award, positive a decorated planetary career, Durant has his ain explanation of his legacy.

"The explanation of the connection has conscionable got confusing implicit the past fewer years to me," Durant said.

"So to maine it's conscionable ever astir impacting and gathering bully relationships wrong the organization. I conscionable consciousness similar each spot that I've been from the extracurricular looking in, it whitethorn person been a pugnacious breakup from each squad that I've gone to, but down the scenes I've built truthful galore large relationships with radical and lifelong friendships that person been formed from playing successful these organizations."

Also connected Monday, caller Rockets helping Dorian Finney-Smith discussed his betterment from offseason ankle country earlier coming to Houston from the Lakers successful escaped agency.

Finney-Smith has been moving but did not sermon a timeline and Stone simply said helium was connected schedule. But helium has not been cleared for hoops activities and volition apt miss immoderate clip to commencement the...