The Rockets made another good profit before the opening game, and Durant left two pieces of puzzle for Houston to win the championship.

When every team is actively preparing for the new season, the Houston Rockets are no exception. However, for the team, before the opening game is about to start, the management and Durant negotiated a two-year, $90 million contract extension, which is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the team. Since KD was acquired in this summer's trade, his contract only has the last year left, which makes fans worry that this operation may be a big gamble. Once Durant leaves the team next year, the Rockets' hard-earned championship lineup may once again return to the reconstruction period.

It was previously reported that KD's contract extension will start at least 2 years and 120 million yuan. After all, the Warriors' Butler also received such a maximum salary contract. The basic annual salary of the super giants in the league is around 60 million. Durant, as the league's top scorer, is not an exaggeration to get a short-term maximum salary. No one thought that Houston would eventually be able to retain Durant with such a contract. Perhaps the talent and performance of his teammates in several preseason games filled this historical star who has failed to compete for the championship for many years with full expectations.

Durant's salary-cut contract leaves the management with enough flexibility to strengthen the lineup. With many Rockets players getting contract extensions this summer, substitute general Ethan, who also has only one year left on his rookie contract, has not yet reached an extension with the team. Many people speculate that the management will conduct an in-depth observation of Ethan in the new season. His "glass man" attribute really prevents the team from offering a high-paying long-term contract, but the team's lack of salary space is also a major factor; in addition, the Rockets also hold Ethan's "bird rights" and can make a decision next summer.

The Rockets also have a potential new star Amen Thompson who will definitely need a high salary or even a maximum salary next summer. Judging from the performance in the preseason, Amen's offensive level has been greatly improved after hard training in the offseason. He and Shen Jing will become the Rockets' future internal and external dual-core. The original problem that the management faced with renewing Amen's maximum salary and having no room to retain Ethan was perfectly solved with Durant's salary cut.

During this offseason, the team's VanVleet, who renewed his contract for 2 years and 50 million, will also have good trade value next summer. If Van Jordan is in poor condition after returning from injury, the Rockets can still choose to trade him for targeted reinforcements. It has to be said that KD's contract extension not only allows the team to retain Ethan, an important piece of the championship puzzle, but also creates a lot of flexibility for reinforcements. In the next two seasons, KD will rectify his name at the end of his career.