The Oklahoma City Thunder added its name to the list of NBA Championships on Sunday evening in front of its home fans.

The NBA has now crowned a new champion for the seventh consecutive season.

While it’s the first NBA championship for players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, it’s not the first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy for the franchise.

The franchise won its first NBA championship in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics. Since relocating in 2008, Oklahoma City had only made one other Finals appearance, in 2012.

Check out the full list of NBA champions:

NBA champions by year

2024-25 — Oklahoma City Thunder

2023-24 — Boston Celtics

2022-23 — Denver Nuggets

2021-22 — Golden State Warriors

2020-21 — Milwaukee Bucks

2019-20 — Los Angeles Lakers

2018-19 — Toronto Raptors

2017-18 — Golden State Warriors

2016-17 — Golden State Warriors

2015-16 — Cleveland Cavaliers

2014-15 — Golden State Warriors

2013-14 — San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 — Miami Heat

2011-12 — Miami Heat

2010-11 — Dallas Mavericks

2009-10 — Los Angeles Lakers

2008-09 — Los Angeles Lakers

2007-08 — Boston Celtics

2006-07 — San Antonio Spurs

2005-06 — Miami Heat

2004-05 — San Antonio Spurs

2003-04 — Detroit Pistons

2002-03 — San Antonio Spurs

2001-02 — Los Angeles Lakers

2000-01 — Los Angeles Lakers

1999-00 — Los Angeles Lakers

1998-99 — San Antonio Spurs

1997-98 — Chicago Bulls

1996-97 — Chicago Bulls

1995-96 — Chicago Bulls

1994-95 — Houston Rockets

1993-94 — Houston Rockets

1992-93 — Chicago Bulls

1991-92 — Chicago Bulls

1990-91 — Chicago Bulls

1989-90 — Detroit Pistons

1988-89 — Detroit Pistons

1987-88 — Los Angeles Lakers

1986-87 — Los Angeles Lakers

1985-86 — Boston Celtics

1984-85 — Los Angeles Lakers

1983-84 — Boston Celtics

1982-83 — Philadelphia 76ers

1981-82 — Los Angeles Lakers

1980-81 — Boston Celtics

1979-80 — Los Angeles Lakers

1978-79 — Seattle SuperSonics

1977-78 — Washington Bullets

1976-77 — Portland Trail Blazers

1975-76 — Boston Celtics

1974-75 — Golden State Warriors

1973-74 — Boston Celtics

1972-73 — New York Knicks

1971-72 — Los Angeles Lakers

1970-71 — Milwaukee Bucks

1969-70 — New York Knicks

1968-69 — Boston Celtics

1967-68 — Boston Celtics

1966-67 — Philadelphia 76ers

1965-66 — Boston Celtics

1964-65 — Boston Celtics

1963-64 — Boston Celtics

1962-63 — Boston Celtics

1961-62 — Boston Celtics

1960-61 — Boston Celtics

1959-60 — Boston Celtics

1958-59 — Boston Celtics

1957-58 — St. Louis Hawks

1956-57 — Boston Celtics

1955-56 — Philadelphia Warriors

1954-55 — Syracuse Nationals

1953-54 — Minneapolis Lakers

1952-53 — Minneapolis Lakers

1951-52 — Minneapolis Lakers

1950-51 — Rochester Royals

1949-50 — Minneapolis Lakers

1948-49 — Minneapolis Lakers

1947-48 — Baltimore Bullets

1946-47 — Philadelphia Warriors

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Schnall blasted the ejection in a postgame news conference following Coastal Carolina’s 5-3 loss.

‘There’s 25,000 people there and I vaguely hear a warning issued,’ Schnall said when asked whether he had been issued a warning before his ejection. ‘As the head coach, I was an assistant for 24 years. As an assistant you’re almost treated like a second-grade, second-level citizen and you can’t say a word. Now as a head coach, I think it is your right to get an explanation of why we got warned. And I’m 48 years old. I shouldn’t get shooed by another grown man. So, when I come out to ask what the warning is, a grown man shooed me.

‘So, at that point I can now hear him say it was a warning issued for balls and strikes. And at that point I said, ‘Because you missed three.’ At that point, ejected. If that warrants an ejection, I’m the first one to stand here like a man and apologize.’

Schnall, a first-year head coach, was an assistant at Coastal Carolina under Gary Gilmore from 2001-12 and again from 2016-24 before being promoted.

The veteran college baseball coach also shared his viewpoint on what transpired after he was ejected: As Schnall approached home plate umpire Angel Campos, first base umpire Casey Moser came over and tripped as he aimed to get in the middle of Schnall and Campos’ exchange.

‘Two words that define are program are, ‘Own it.’ And what does that mean?’ Schnall said. ‘It means you have to own everything that you do, without blame, without defending yourself, without excuses. If you guys watch the video, there was a guy that came in extremely aggressively, tripped over Campos’ foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000, immediately goes ‘two-game suspension,’ and said ‘bumping the umpire.’ Immediately does that.

‘There was no bump. He was embarrassed. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism. They’ll retract it, though. Because now it’s excessive and the reason why it was excessive is because I was trying to say, ‘I didn’t bump him.”

It’s uncertain how Schnall’s presence in the dugout would’ve impacted Coastal Carolina’s result in Game 2, if at all. Associate head coach Chad Oxendine, who spent the previous three seasons as head coach for Longwood baseball, ultimately finished the game as acting head coach.

But the decision to eject the Chanticleers’ coach is one that’ll certainly be remembered.

‘It is what it is, but if that warranted an ejection, man, (there’d) be a lot of ejections,’ Schnall said. ‘As an umpire, I feel like it’s your job to manage the game, the national championship game, with some poise, some calmness and a little bit of tolerance.’

Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller shared his thoughts on Kevin Schnall’s ejection against LSU in Game 2 of the College World Series championship series on June 22, claiming the move ‘drastically altered the trajectory’ of the game.

‘The ejections of head coach Kevin Schnall and assistant coach Matt Schilling in the bottom of the first inning drastically altered the trajectory of a must-win game for our team,’ Miller shared on X (formerly Twitter), hours after Coastal Carolina’s 5-3 loss. ‘These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste, without an attempt at de-escalation, and deprived our student-athletes of the leadership they have relied on throughout a historic postseason run.’

Miller didn’t hold back his thoughts on the situation, which saw Schnall and Schilling ejected from the game in the bottom of the first inning after Schnall argued balls and strikes. Schnall also let his thoughts be known in his postgame press conference after the Game 2 loss.

‘This is not about a single call — it’s about process and professionalism,’ Miller continued. ‘In the biggest moment of the college baseball season, our program and its student-athletes deserved better. The NCAA must re-evaluate how it trains, assigns, and reviews umpires in championship environments. We expect consistency, communication, and the same level of excellence from officials that we demand of our teams.

‘Our players have represented this university, this conference, and college baseball with integrity and heart, and they deserved the opportunity to compete for a national championship with their leaders and we were denied that opportunity today.’

The Chanticleers entered the national championship series with a 26-game win streak, which was broken after falling to LSU 1-0 in Game 1 of the series on June 21. Coastal Carolina looked to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on June 23, but fell again in Game 2.

Coastal Carolina made its second-ever College World Series appearance in 2025, reaching the CWS finals for the second time in as many tries. The Chanticleers won the championship in 2016m when Schnall was an assistant coach under Gary Gilmore.

Schnall’s ejection was controversial to many fans and analysts, including the ESPN broadcast crew, and Coastal Carolina’s athletic director echoed that sentiment in his statement.

A champion was crowned in Frisco on Sunday as LPGA pros competed in the final round 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the third major in 2025 for the women.

KPMG Women’s PGA 2025 live leaderboard

Minjee Lee wins 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA for third career major

Lee was 2 over in her final round but she was able to fend off all challengers during Sunday’s final round. Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasean each posted 4-under 68s but were only able to get to 1 under.

Lee did card three birdies but also posted five bogeys, but it was enough during a windy week in Frisco, Texas. She is the third Aussie to win three LPGA majors.

Lee is the first Australian to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship since Hannah Green in 2019. She’s the third Australian to win three or more major championships, joining Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson. Lee is now the 31st player in LPGA history to win three or more major championships.

Minjee Lee earns $1.8 million for KPMG victory

Earlier in the week tournament officials announced a purse increase to $12 million, matching the U.S. Women’s Open for the highest prize fund on tour. For perspective, just four years ago the KPMG purse was $4.5 million. Lee earned $1.8 million for her victory.

At the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, she earned the biggest paycheck in women’s golf history to date when she earned $1.8 million. (Later that same season, the winner of CME Group Tour Championship in November earned $2 million.)

-Beth Ann Nichols

Minjee Lee posts back-to-back birdies down the stretch

Lee is still 1 over overall in her final round but she has made consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to get to 5 under and take a four-shot lead down the stretch in Frisco. Auston Kim has posted a final-round 68 and is the clubhouse leader at 1 under. Lee won the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship. A KPMG victory would be her third major title and 11th LPGA win.

Maja Stark breaks putter in frustration

Three weeks after Maja Stark hoisted a trophy on a major championship Sunday, she broke her putter at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. As the wind and heat made for an unrelenting cauldron of pressure, Stark’s frustrations boiled over late in the final round.

–Beth Ann Nichols

Early bogeys not derailing Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee has bogeyed three of the first six holes but still leads the KPMG by two. The two-time major winner began the day four strokes ahead of Jeeno Thitikul. In the past 15 years, eight players have held an advantage of four strokes or more entering the final round of an LPGA major and all but one went on to win. Jeongeun Lee6 was the lone exception after leading the 2021 Evian by five.

–Beth Ann Nichols

Minjee Lee now the lone golfer under par at the KPMG

After Jeeno Thitikul bogeyed two of her first three holes, Minjee Lee became the lone golfer in Frisco in red numbers. Lee is 1 over herself after three holes but at 5 under, she holds a five-shot lead.

Leaders are on the course

Just after 9 a.m. ET, Lee and Thitikul took to the course to start their final round. Lee parred the par-5 opening hole while Thitikul bogeyed it, opening a five-shot lead for Lee.

What will the weather be like Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA?

Players have dealt with brutal heat and strong winds to go along with painfully long rounds during this week’s KPMG. Unfortunately, it’s going to be another scorcher on Sunday.

High temperatures will reach the mid-90s, with heat index creeping close to 100. Steady winds will be blowing at 15 mph from the south and could gust up to 30-40 mph at times.

How much money does the winner get at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA?

The total purse for this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA is a record-breaking $12 million, with $1.8 million going to the winner.

How to watch the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. streaming on Peacock
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. on NBC

The trade of All-Star forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets came as a surprise to many NBA observers – including Durant himself.

The four-time scoring champion and 2014 NBA MVP was on stage for an interview session on the final day of Fanatics Fest in New York City when he found out he was being dealt to Houston.

In return, the Suns will receive Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, USA TODAY Sports has confirmed.

Even Durant wasn’t sure the news was real.

‘We’re gonna see man,’ Durant said. ‘We’re gonna see.’

After he was reassured the deal was, in fact, real, Durant became a bit more philosophical with the trade speculation finally coming to an end.

‘Crazy, crazy last couple weeks,’ he told interviewer Kay Adams. ‘But I’m glad it’s over with.’

As for the situation in Phoenix, Durant said the Suns did welcome his input on finding his next destination.

“They wanted me to go. … They got what they wanted, and I got what I wanted,’ Durant said. ‘We can move on and good luck to them going forward. Always remember my time there, but we’re going on to something else.’

Kevin Durant’s previous trades

This marks the third time in his career Durant has been traded.

The Golden State Warriors traded him and a first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets in July 2019 for Treveon Graham, Shabazz Napier and D’Angelo Russell.

The Nets sent him to Phoenix in February 2023 as part of a four-team blockbuster with the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select the two-way prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, swinging a deal with the Cleveland Browns to make it happen.

On Sunday, the team announced that Hunter officially signed his rookie contract – the last top-10 pick to put the pen to paper. Now that the ink has dried, he is slated for a four-year, $46.65 million deal with the Jaguars.

According to ESPN, the deal includes a $30.57 million signing bonus paid entirely upfront, making Hunter the first non-quarterback and non-No. 1 overall pick to get the entirety of the signing bonus upfront.

Hunter is set to star as a receiver on offense and at cornerback on defense in his rookie season, bringing that ability from the college ranks to the professional level. It’s unclear if that’ll last over time with the step up in competition and physicality, but the former Colorado star will try to succeed in a way that many NFL players haven’t.

Whether Hunter ultimately changes the game remains to be seen, but plenty of eyes will be watching to see what happens in Jacksonville this season and beyond.

It’s the start of something new in northern Florida. Here’s what to know about Hunter’s first NFL contract:

Travis Hunter contract details

Hunter inked a fully guaranteed four-year, $46.65 million deal with the Jaguars.

It carries an average annual value (AAV) of around $11.7 million and a signing bonus of $30.6 million, which the Jaguars are paying fully upfront, according to ESPN. The total value of the deal is about $2 million more than what the No. 1 pick, Cam Ward, received from the Tennessee Titans.

Since Hunter is a first-round pick, his contract also includes a fifth-year option that the Jaguars could choose to exercise (or not) after his third season.

NFL rookie contracts are slotted, meaning the player’s draft position determines their contract. They are fixed and limit haggling in negotiations to things like offset language.

Now the top-10 picks are locked in and, more importantly, Hunter can begin his career without any contract issues to worry about.

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Keegan Bradley has his first win of 2025.

The New England-area native took the victory at the 2025 Travelers Championship with a 15-under-par score at TPC at River Highlands in Connecticut to secure a $3.6 million payday.

Bradley put up the comeback victory on Sunday June 22 as he shot 2-under-par in the final round after Tommy Fleetwood was the leader entering the day. Entering the 18th hole, the Team USA captain was tied with Fleetwood and Russell Henley, needing a birdie to secure the win and avoid the playoff.

On the par-4 18th, Bradley had a beautiful approach shot to put him six feet away from the win. He nailed the putt for birdie for his eighth PGA Tour win.

COMPLETE LEADERBOARD: 2025 Travelers Championship

2025 Travelers Championship payout

Keegan Bradley earns $3.6 million for winning the Travelers Championship.

Travelers Championship purse, payouts

The total purse for the 2025 Travelers Championship is $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner. Here is the complete rundown on how much each position pays:

1. Keegan Bradley (-15): $3.6 million
T2. Tommy Fleetwood (-14): $2.16 million
T2. Russell Henley (-14): $2.16 million
T4. Harris English (-13): $960,000
T4. Jason Day (-13): $960,000
T6. Scottie Scheffler (-12): $720,000
T6. Rory McIlroy (-12): $720,000
8. Brian Harman (-10): $620,000
T9. Harry Hall (-9): $580,000
T9. Justin Thomas (-9): $580,000
T9. Lucas Glover (-9): $580,000
T12: Patrick Cantlay (-8): $460,000
T12: Denny McCarthy (-8): $460,000
T14. Byeong Hun An (-7): $380,000
T14. Ben Griffin (-7): $380,000
T14. J.J. Spaun (-7): $380,000
T17. Ryan Fox (-6): $320,000
T17. Robert MacIntyre (-6): $320,000
T17. Matt Fitzpatrick (-6): $320,000
T17. Maverick McNealy (-6): $320,000
T17. Sam Burns (-6): $320,000
T17. Aaron Rai (-6): $320,000
T17. Nick Taylor (-6): $320,000
T17. Wyndham Clark (-6): $320,000
T25. Bud Cauley (-5): $175,000
T25. Kevin Yu (-5): $175,000
T25. David Thompson (-5): $175,000
T25. Austin Eckroat (-5): $175,000
T25. Taylor Pendrith (-5): $175,000
T30. Adam Scott (-4): $134,000
T30. Andrew Novak (-4): $134,000
T30. Alex Noren (-4): $134,000
T30. Hideki Matsuyama (-4): $134,000
T34. Stephan Jaeger (-3): $111,000
T34. Luke Clanton (-3): $111,000
T36. Gary Woodland (-2): $101,500
T36. Ludvig Aberg (-2): $101,500
T36. Rickie Fowler (-2): $101,500
T36. Max Greyserman (-2): $101,500
T36. Joe Highsmith (-2): $101,500
T36. Jhonattan Vegas (-2): $101,500
T42. Collin Morikawa (-1): $76,000
T42. Daniel Berger (-1): $76,000
T42. Michael Kim (-1): $76,000
T45. Tom Kim (E): $64,000
T45. Shane Lowry (E): $64,000
T45. J.T. Poston (E): $64,000
T45. Sepp Straka (E): $64,000
T45. Sam Stevens (E): $64,000
T45. Tom Hoge (E): $64,000
T45. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (E): $64,000
T52. Cameron Young (+1): $47,000
T52. Jacob Bridgeman (+1): $47,000
T54. Ryan Gerard (+2): $46,000
T54. Akshay Bhatia (+2): $46,000
T54. Max Homa (+2): $46,000
T57. Adam Hadwin (+3): $44,500
T57. Matthieu Pavon (+3): $44,500
T57. Cam Davis (+3): $44,500
T57. Davis Riley (+3): $44,500
T61. Xander Schauffele (+4): $41,500
T61. Sunjae Im (+4): $41,500
T63. Min Woo Lee (+5): $40,500
T63. Thomas Detry (+5): $40,500
65. Mackenzie Hughes (+7): $39,500
T66. Tony Finau (+11): $39,000
T66. Nick Dunlap (+11): $39,000

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After he finally made his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut, Shohei Ohtani took the mound once again.

The two-way star made his second pitching start at Dodger Stadium when he faced the Washington Nationals in a 13-7 win on Sunday June 22. The afternoon start came six days after Ohtani pitched for the first time since August 2023, when he was on the Los Angeles Angels.

In his first outing against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani admitted the adrenaline led to him throwing with more velocity than typical. This time, the speed on his pitches was toned down, with his fastball averaging 97.9 mph against Washington, lower than the 99.1 mph earlier in the week.

‘I was able to relax much better compared to my last outing,’ Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

The sweeper was his most effective pitch against San Diego, and it remained the same against the Nationals. He threw it seven times – the most of his pitches – and five of them were called for strikes, including one swinging strikeout of Luis Garcia Jr. He then used the cutter to get Nathaniel Lowe to strike out swinging as well.

That wasn’t all from Ohtani on the day: He hit a home run and a triple, and recorded five RBI for a signature day for the two-way star. It was the first time since Aug. 23, 2023 that Ohtani pitched and hit a home run in the same game.

Ohtani said it was the plan for him to just pitch one inning, but he is ‘looking forward to adding more innings and more pitches.’

‘I want to see improvement with the quality of the pitches that I’m throwing, and then also increasing the amount of pitches,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be gradual.’

Now, with two innings of work under his belt this season, Ohtani has a 4.50 ERA with two strikeouts and two hits allowed.

Shohei Ohtani pitching highlights

Shohei Ohtani pitching stats

It was a much smoother day for Ohtani than in his season debut. He records two strikeouts and gives up no hits. He threw 18 pitches, 12 of which were strikes. Only one batter got on base after an error from Mookie Betts.

Ohtani pitched only one inning with Ben Casparius coming in relief to start the second.

Shohei Ohtani hits home run

It’s been a great day at the plate and on the mound. After he hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning, Ohtani hits a two-run home run in the eighth inning for his second hit and fifth RBI of the game.

Shohei Ohtani records first Dodger strikeout

Strikeout No. 1 is in the books for Ohtani. He gets Luis Garcia Jr. swinging on a sweeper out of the zone for his first punch out of the season.

The following batter, Nathaniel Lowe, suffered the same fate, swinging on a cutter.

Mookie Betts can’t haul in pop fly

Ohtani looked to have his second out of the inning in quick fashion, but James Wood is on base after Mookie Betts lost the pop fly in the sun.

Shohei Ohtani takes mound

Shohei Ohtani gets the game started.

How long will Shohei Ohtani pitch today?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said pregame Ohtani will pitch one or two innings.

How to watch Dodgers vs. Nationals

The Nationals and Dodgers finish a three-game series in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Local TV: SportsNet LA, MASN
Live stream: Fubo
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)

Watch Dodgers vs. Nationals on Fubo

Dodgers vs. Nationals pitching matchup

Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
Washington Nationals: Michael Soroka (3-5, 5.06 ERA)

Dodgers lineup

Shohei Ohtani, DH/P
Mookie Betts, SS
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Max Muncy, 3B
Andy Pages, RF
Tommy Edman, 2B
Hyeseong Kim, CF
Michael Conforto, LF
Dalton Rushing, C

Nationals lineup

CJ Abrams, SS
James Wood, LF
Luis Garcia Jr., 2B
Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
Josh Bell, DH
Brady House, 3B
Daylen Lile, RF
Keibert Ruiz, C
Jacob Young, CF

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The Phoenix Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks.
The Suns now have a surplus of guards, including Green, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Dillon Brooks.
The Miami Heat also pursued Durant but were ultimately unable to land the difference maker.

A blockbuster trade like the Phoenix Suns swung to ship Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets will have ripple effects across the NBA for years to come.

On Sunday, June 22 — just hours before the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder met in the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history — the Suns agreed to trade Durant to Houston for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

Durant, 36, is a 15-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion and the 2013-14 Most Valuable Player. This presents a win-now move for Houston, which finished second in the Western Conference, only to get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Here are the winners and losers from the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets:

WINNERS

Kevin Durant

He gets to play for one of his preferred teams, returns to the state where he played college ball and Houston is a young team poised to compete for championships. The Rockets are coming off a 52-win season that placed them second in the Western Conference. They were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs, but, with center Alperen Şengün, forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson and guard Fred VanVleet, the Rockets have plenty of talent.

Durant, who averaged 26.6 points per game, instantly becomes the No. 1 scoring threat.

There is, however, some pressure with this move. Given Houston’s incumbent talent, anything less than a championship will certainly draw out critics.

Ime Udoka

He’s a well-respected coach known for instilling toughness in his teams. In two short seasons, he drastically improved Houston’s outlook. Now, Ime Udoka gets an elite, three-tier scorer around whom he can build Houston’s offense.

It also helps that Udoka is quite familiar with Durant’s skill set and work ethic; Udoka was an assistant coach on the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21, when Durant was a member of the team. Udoka also worked with Durant when Udoka was an assistant coach for Team USA under Gregg Popovich.

“I was with Ime, so I know how real he is,” Durant said Wednesday, February 12, when the Suns visited the Rockets. “He don’t sugarcoat a damn thing. He going to tell you exactly what he feels and how you should play.”

Jabari Smith Jr.

Built similarly to Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., 22, stands to benefit from playing with the surefire Hall of Famer. While not nearly as prolific a shooter as Durant, Smith possesses similar traits. If Smith takes this opportunity to learn from Durant, a notoriously hard worker, and steal elements from his game — i.e. Durant’s fadeaway midrange jumper — Smith could see his game blossom. It also will help that Durant will draw significant defensive attention away from Smith.

LOSERS

Suns have too many guards on roster

Jalen Green is an exciting young player. He’s 23 and can jump out of the gym. But he’s a streaky scorer who will need to develop his jump shot. Alongside Devin Booker, 28, Phoenix has a pretty formidable, young backcourt, albeit one in which both players thrive with the ball in their hands.

Bradley Beal, a player who struggled significantly this past season, is under contract for the next two seasons and has a no-trade clause. At $110.8 million over the next two seasons, moving Beal will be difficult. Dillion Brooks is a more naturally a shooting guard, though he can play small forward. In April 2024, Phoenix also signed Grayson Allen to a four-year extension.

That’s too much salary invested in too many guards. The Suns should explore a supplementary trade to offload some of them elsewhere — especially since they did not recoup the haul they sent to Brooklyn to land Durant two years ago.

The Miami Heat strike out again

According to ESPN, the Rockets and Heat were the two finalists for Durant. But Miami, which has been linked to numerous stars over the past several seasons, failed once more to take a swing and land a difference maker who can elevate the franchise to serious contention for a title. After trading away Jimmy Butler in February, Miami struggled down the stretch. ESPN reported that Miami declined to include some of its younger talent and the No. 20 overall pick in the 2025 draft in a potential deal for Durant.

Heat president Pat Riley has a reputation for being firm in expecting deals executed at a cost favorable to his team. In a vacuum, that’s sound strategy. But the counterargument is that Miami is overvaluing its assets, leaving the roster littered with average players.

Realistically, a trade for a soon-to-be-37 Durant was always going to be a gamble for a Heat team that is further away from a championship window than Houston. But by sitting on their hands, the Heat, absent a significant move to upgrade the roster, are resigned to competing for the play-in window.

The Phoenix Suns will ship Durant, a two-time NBA champion, 15-time All-Star and one of the elite players and scorers of his generation, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke under the condition of anonymity on Sunday, June 22, because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the trade until it becomes official.

Durant is set to enter the final season of his contract.

The trade cannot be formalized until July 6, the end of the transaction moratorium that allows teams to sign players and consummate trades.

Since he won a pair of consecutive NBA championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, Durant has sought another title. His stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Suns didn’t elevate either team to serious contention, though his statistical production has remained constant.

And, with Durant set to enter the 2025-26 season as a 37-year-old, this may present his last chance to contend for another NBA Finals.

This past season, Phoenix missed the play-in window and finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record. The Suns dealt with several injuries throughout the season, including an ankle issue Durant sustained toward the end of the regular season that forced him to miss Phoenix’s final seven games, six of which were losses.

The Suns, who had the highest payroll in the NBA with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal also commanding large salaries, struggled to gel and lacked depth. In an attempt to work through those issues, players often had to change their roles and responsibilities, ultimately costing former coach Mike Budenholzer his job.

Despite that, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 62 appearances.

Why did Rockets trade for Kevin Durant?

In Durant, the Rockets are acquiring a proven commodity and an elite, three-level scorer who can knock down shots with ease, particularly late in games.

This is something that should instantly help Houston, whose offense at times stagnated with no obvious top scoring threat. The No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs. This move should boost Houston’s chance to make a deep run in the postseason.

The Suns must now find a formula to become competitive while incorporating all of their guards into the offense. Green, 23, averaged 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season. He’s a hyper-athletic, streaky guard who’s capable of prolific scoring, though he struggled in the playoffs. Brooks, more of a defensive player that can slide into a small forward role, also plays the position. They are joining four-time All-Star Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, who are also guards.

Kevin Durant career stats

With 30,571 career points, Durant ranks eighth on the all-time scoring list and is in real position to climb further; Durant, who scored 1,647 points this season with the Suns, needs just 1,722 points to surpass Michael Jordan (32,292), who is fifth on the list.

A four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, 11-time All-NBA selection and the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player, Durant was selected second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (who later became the Oklahoma City Thunder).

Durant, a fixture on Team USA, is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

How old is Kevin Durant?

Kevin Durant is currently 36 years old, but will turn 37 on September 29. He is set to enter the final year of his contract, which will pay him $54.7 million. Given the haul that they shipped to Phoenix to acquire Durant, the Rockets are expected to seek an extension with Durant.

(This story was updated with new information.)