Kevin Durant’s offseason workouts have once again become a talking point, but Kendrick Perkins believes the future Hall of Famer should be spending more time in the gym with his Houston Rockets teammates.
Speaking on ESPN, Perkins reacted to a viral video of Durant working out with Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero. While he praised Durant for mentoring one of the NBA’s rising stars, Perkins questioned whether that time would be better spent strengthening chemistry with the players he’ll suit up alongside this season.
“I’ve been seeing a video that’s been circulating of KD working out with Paolo Banchero and I appreciate the mentorship. But that mentorship needs to be going at the guys he’s actually going to be on the floor with this upcoming season. I wanna see videos of KD in the lab with Jabari Smith, I wanna see videos of Şengün and Kevin Durant working out.”
Perkins’ point centers less on Durant’s willingness to mentor younger players and more on maximizing the Rockets’ championship aspirations. Houston enters the 2026-27 season with lofty expectations after an impressive first year with Durant leading a talented core that includes Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard.
Although offseason workouts with players from other teams have become common across the NBA, Perkins believes there’s added value in using the summer to continue building chemistry with teammates before training camp begins.
Durant has long been known for training with stars and emerging talent from around the league, and many players have credited him for helping elevate their games. However, Perkins believes Houston’s title hopes could benefit from seeing Durant spend more time working alongside the Rockets’ young nucleus.
Whether those workouts happen behind closed doors or simply aren’t shared publicly is another question altogether. Still, Perkins’ comments have sparked debate about how veteran superstars should approach the offseason when leading a championship contender, while others think that Perkins is completely wrong , as players should be able to workout with who they choose.
What do you think? Should Kevin Durant prioritize working out with his Rockets teammates this offseason, or does it make no difference who he trains with during the summer?
