Kendrick Perkins dismisses Kevin Durant being a desirable player: ‘Hell no’

While Kevin Durant might be one-and-done with the Houston Rockets, Kendrick Perkins thinks he should just be done.

With Houston down 3-1 to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round of the NBA playoffs, Durant’s future with the Rockets is unsurprisingly in doubt. Durant has played in just one game during the series, and controversially opted against sitting with his team for Game 3, before joining them on the bench for Game 4. He also infamously found himself involved in another burner scandal earlier this season, where Durant allegedly used the account to insult teammates.

And as Durant’s status in Houston remains uncertain, First Take asked whether he is still a desirable player at this point in his career.

Is Kevin Durant still a desirable player?

Kendrick Perkins: “Hell no.” pic.twitter.com/7GpuYped4c

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 28, 2026

“Hell no,” Perkins said with confidence before repeating, “Hell no. He’s not. And look, I believe that Kevin Durant is the greatest scorer to ever touch a damn basketball.”

With his eyes wide and jaw dropped, Stephen A. Smith looked stunned by the claim, so much so that Perkins told him to “fix your body language” and listen to the evidence.

“I believe that he still puts the ball in the basket better than the majority of the NBA,” Perkins admitted. “But let’s go facts over feelings right now and let’s keep it a buck.”

Perkins pointed to Durant’s tenure with the Brooklyn Nets ending poorly before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where several coaches were ran out of the city. Last season’s Suns, led by Durant, was arguably the worst attempt at assembling a super team in NBA history. And this year, without Durant, Phoenix was back in the playoffs. The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, are on the verge of getting knocked out in the first-round with Durant, just as they did last season without him.

“What has been the biggest knock on the Rockets this year? The chemistry,” Perkins said. “It’s so bad, to the point where people are questioning is Ime Udoka still a good coach?”

Perkins and Durant spent parts of five seasons as teammates together with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But their relationship began to deteriorate with Perkins being critical of Durant choosing to leave Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors. And while Durant isn’t as desirable as he was when he went to Golden State, Brooklyn, Phoenix, or Houston, he’ll have plenty of suitors if the Rockets decide to move on after just one season.