The Kevin Durant trade will include more than just the 2014 NBA MVP.

The Houston Rockets and the Phoenix Suns reached a deal that includes an NBA-record seven teams, Houston announced Sunday. The trade for Durant, which the Rockets and Suns agreed to in June but had yet to finalize, now incorporates the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Athletic reported Wednesday night that a potential record-setting deal was being discussed. The move will consolidate several previously reported trades, including the Durant one, into one megadeal. Six players who were in the NBA last season will change teams.

“My time in Phoenix has come to an end. All these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way,” Durant said on X after the trade was announced Sunday. “I appreciate all the quick interactions with everybody from support staff to teammates distant cousins, it’s all a family that I’m grateful to be apart of, no matter what. I truly believe this nba is a one big community. Much love to Arizona. Houston, Can’t Wait! (sic)”

Durant will head from Phoenix to Houston, while Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks will go from Houston to Phoenix. The Hawks received David Roddy from the Rockets, and Atlanta signed and traded Clint Capela to Houston as part of the transaction.

 

“Having played against Kevin and coached him before, I know he’s the type of competitor who fits with what we’ve been building here in Houston,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said in a statement. “His skill level, love of basketball, and dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected players of his generation, and my staff and I are excited to work with him.”

Because of quirks in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, teams had to wait until at least July 6 to make trades like these official, even if they agreed on the details of a deal earlier.

Previously, the most franchises to participate in the same deal were the six from last summer when Klay Thompson went from the Warriors to the Dallas Mavericks. In 2021, five teams agreed to an exchange that included Russell Westbrook going from the Washington Wizards to the Lakers.

(Photo of Kevin Durant: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)