Houston brass have made it clear they want toughness and defensive energy alongside Alperen Sengun,” HoopsHype writes in its aggregate mock draft.

Durant certainly adds a comfortable 25 points per night and a 43% three-point shooting percentage, which the Rockets need, but Houston also has pieces like last year's first-round pick, Reed Sheppard, who are just waiting for an increased role to showcase their shooting ability.

After Washington fell to sixth in the NBA Draft Lottery, all signs point to the team continuing to remain patient.

NBA and NHL fans could be treated to two championship Game 7s in the same week for the first time in more than 30 years.

If Houston lands Durant, or any other superstar, that moves the championship window to now – meaning it's all hands on deck to contribute to winning.A promising young wing who's struggled to do that in his first two seasons is Cam Whitmore,

Despite recent interest from teams such as San Antonio and Memphis, it appears assistant coach Royal Ivey is staying with Ime Udoka in Houston.

The Thunder are up, 3-2, against the Indiana Pacers after back-to-back wins. Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 71 points in a Game 5 win on Monday night. The Thunder are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 after eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference finals.

"The Rockets and Fred VanVleet have mutual interest in signing a new long-term contract," said Shams. "Houston holds a $44.9 million team option on VanVleet, which they can decline to sign him at a lower figure for multiple years.