When the Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant from Phoenix this offseason, they catapulted into the conversation of potential championship contenders.
That doesn't mean doubts completely went away, in fact, they were probably magnified when Fred VanVleet tore his ACL in September. But 21 games into the regular season, Houston is sitting at 15-6 and fourth place in the Western Conference.
Durant is averaging 25/5/4 and leading the way as the veteran presence they acquired him for to be a complementary piece to the rising stardom of Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. And for the first time in a few seasons, the trade deadline is ever so important for Houston.