The Phoenix Suns might find themselves in a tough spot against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it could actually be worse. They could be the Houston Rockets.
Somehow down 3-0 to a Los Angeles Lakers team without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, we can officially say the Suns won the Kevin Durant trade.
Rockets have realized Josh Okogie is not a true playoff guy
Durant didn't appear in Game 3 with an ankle issue having sat out Game 1 with a knee complaint, but one former Sun who did play was Josh Okogie.
Not that you would know, with the Nigerian international registering four minutes off the bench, going scoreless and posting the worst plus/minus of the game at -13.
If you go back to when Okogie was with the Suns, then this shouldn't surprise you. The 27-year-old has always been a willing defender, he is just not at the level required to go on a deep playoff run.
The lack of playing time in this one isn't all on him however, as Rockets' head coach Ime Udoka fully went for it with his starters.
All five of his starters playing at least 44 minutes of the 112-108 overtime loss, with Dorian Finney-Smith the single guy off the bench to get close to double figures (11 minutes).
But if Okogie had been deemed good enough, then he would have been brought into the game to give Amen Thompson (48 minutes) a break.
It gets worse for him as well, with none other than Bronny James Jr. having five points in nine minutes of action and if nothing else, producing two fun moments with his made 3-pointer on the court with his father, and then this.
LEBRON ALLEY OOP TO HIS SON BRONNY pic.twitter.com/q7NGF3M5Jw
— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) April 25, 2026
There is a certain irony in the Rockets trading away a winner in Dillon Brooks and young player with upside in Jalen Green for Durant, only to wind up in the same position the Suns once were.
This includes also having Okogie on the roster, who was along for the ride in The Valley as well and who never even got to make the playoffs proper alongside Durant and Devin Booker.
Durant himself can point to players like Okogie and say that he continues to not have the right guys put around him to be successful, no matter where he goes.
But the reality is the kind of contract he is on and trade capital he commands means building real depth around him is hard.
The Rockets have no excuses for this one though, they have a bunch of young talent which makes this the best roster Durant has been on since the Golden State Warriors.
Just don't include Okogie in that group.
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