Durant is now NBA’s richest as Rockets deal is launched

Kevin Durant has officially become the top earner in NBA history after joining the Houston Rockets.

Durant has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $90 million with the Rockets.

The 37-year-old forward, a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, will own the NBA record for highest career earnings at $598.2 million, overtaking LeBron James’s $583.9m.

Durant joined his fifth NBA club when the Phoenix Suns traded him to Houston in July as part of a seven-team deal, the largest in league history. Durant, the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player, has helped spark the United States to four Olympic gold medals.

Last season, the Suns lost six of their last seven games without Durant due to an ankle injury and missed the playoffs. They were 3-17 when he was out of the line-up.

Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocked shots a game last season, his 17th in the NBA.

Durant was eligible for a maximum $120 million extension on his contract but accepted that when he agreed to join the Rockets, he would take less to help Houston add talent around him in hopes of making a run at the NBA title, Durant’s agent Rich Kleiman told ESPN.

The 15-time NBA All-Star forward joins a Houston club that has re-signed coach Ime Udoka, agreed to new deals with guard Fred VanVleet, who is out with a knee injury, and New Zealand centre Steven Adams and signed free agents Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith. The Rockets also boast Turkish All-Star centre Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets opened the season on Tuesday at defending champion Oklahoma City.