Jalen Williams reacts to Rockets trade for Kevin Durant: 'That's dope for Houston'

The day after winning an NBA championship, Jalen Williams begrudgingly had some television obligations he had to complete with likely zero hours of sleep. The 24-year-old won his first ring on a hurt wrist after the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

But that wasn't the only topic that dominated the airwaves in the aftermath. In the morning of Game 7, Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets in a historic seven-team deal. After three disappointing seasons with the Phoenix Suns, the 36-year-old has one last chance to chase a title.

Sounding sick, Williams was asked about the Durant trade on ESPN's "First Take" flagship show. That's the downside of the NBA news world. Transactions sometimes exceed what actually happens on the court. For the 24-year-old, he couldn't play along and came clean as somebody who spent very little time thinking about the seismic move.

"That's dope for Houston. I didn't really pay that news much attention. Wherever KD goes, he's gonna change the way a team plays for the better," Williams said. "It's always good having more and more competition in the West. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks stayed in the West, too. We accept all challenges, but I couldn't care less about what's going on in the NBA besides our parade."

That's about as candid a response as you'll get out of Williams. And the answer ESPN producers likely thought they'd get from the recently crowned NBA champion. An NBA Finals Game 7 is about the highest of stakes as you can get. You can't waste precious time thinking about what else is happening around the league.

The Thunder enter the 2025-26 season as favorites to repeat. Rarely do you see back-to-back champions, but OKC is best set up to accomplish the rare feat, considering it's bringing everybody back from last year's roster.

The Rockets could be a big threat, though. They were the second seed this past season despite having zero top scorers on their roster. While Durant is no longer in his prime, he's still a textbook answer to fill that vacuum at the top. With plenty of championship experience on his side.

"That's dope for Houston... wherever KD goes, he's gonna change the way a team plays for the better. ... I can care less about what's going on in the NBA besides our parade."

Jalen Williams on the Rockets acquiring Kevin Durant from the Suns 😅pic.twitter.com/cV3XvowtIj

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 23, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams reacts to Rockets trade for Kevin Durant