Kevin Durant's first season in a Rockets uniform didn't exactly go according to plan. After a much-hyped arrival in Houston, the 2025-26 campaign ended in disappointment with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. But despite the early postseason departure, it sounds like Durant's time in H-Town is far from over.

According to a recent report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon, both Durant and head coach Ime Udoka are expected to remain with the Rockets moving forward. That's a big vote of confidence for a team that clearly underperformed relative to expectations.

Let's be real—Houston never got a fair chance to show what they could do. Durant missed all but one game of the Lakers series due to nagging injury issues. On top of that, key contributors Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams were sidelined for the entire season. That's a lot of firepower missing from the rotation.

Despite the rocky finish, multiple high-level team sources still believe in the core of this roster. The same sources told ESPN that Udoka remains an essential part of the team's future plans—and so does Durant. The message is clear: this was a speed bump, not a dead end.

Durant still has two years left on his contract, including a $46 million player option for the 2027-28 season. So while some roster adjustments are likely coming this offseason, don't expect those changes to include moving on from the future Hall of Famer. The Rockets are betting that a healthy squad—with KD leading the way—can still contend for years to come.