Kevin Durant has played on plenty of talented rosters, but three days into his first training camp with the Houston Rockets, the 15-time All-Star says what stands out most is how in sync this group already feels.
“How connected everybody is,” Durant said after Thursday’s practice, via Space City Home Network. “The dialogue is pretty open. The truth can be told without guys getting in their feelings about it. I feel like they were always a connected group. Especially Alpi and twin (Amen Thompson), I felt like they were always on the same page, as opponents. But being around them, it’s even more so. Everybody is trying to get a feel for each other, and it’s been a good three days.”
That sense of connection is something Durant thought was missing last year in Phoenix.
His former teammate Devin Booker felt it too.
“It wasn’t as connected as we wanted to be,” Booker told local reporters last week. “I don’t think anybody had problems with each other off the court, we just simply weren’t connected enough.”
The Rockets are expected to lock Durant into a new deal soon.
From the moment he was traded to Houston on the eve of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, it was widely assumed he would sign a two-year extension worth north of $100 million.
“I do see myself signing a contract extension. I can’t tell you exactly when it’ll happen, but I do see it happening,” Durant said at Rockets media day.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst is confident KD will sign an extension with Houston.
“I’ve talked to the Durant camp, and even beyond what Kevin said [at media day], there’s very good optimism that they’re going to have a deal. But, ain’t a deal till it’s a deal,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective Podcast.
READ MORE: Steve Kerr Confident Jonathan Kuminga Won’t Disrupt Warriors