Auburn Tigers basketball alum Jabari Smith could be a keeper on the Houston Rockets even after the franchise landed Kevin Durant in a trade that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns.
CBS Sports' Sam Quinn believes Smith and Tari Eason could both be retained by the Rockets if Durant doesn't take a max contract.
"This would be pretty significant if it winds up being true. Houston has Jabari Smith and Tari Eason extension-eligible this summer. They'd love to keep both. I sort of assumed one was gone with a Durant max. If he takes less, hopefully they can keep both," Quinn wrote.
Smith was seen as the next potential KD during his one year on the Plains. In truth, the comparison was always shaky, considering Durant is a far more slippery driver with an infinitely better handle.
Still, both were top-three picks, even if Smith's draft night experienced some disappointment. Smith had one of the highest perceived ceilings during a draft class that looked better at the time but could be late-blooming.
If Smith could learn a thing or two from Durant, perhaps he could close the gap between the two.
In the short-term, Durant probably steals a good number of Smith's minutes. In the long-term, maybe Smith's game starts to resemble KD's and he slides into that scoring role on the Rockets after Durant's retirement.
Durant's arrival isn't the worst-case scenario for Smith. Far from it.