What happened in Rockets' tense team meeting after Kevin Durant burner leak? Details emerge after first-round exit

Houston traded Jalen Green and a haul of picks to Phoenix for a two-time champion specifically to break this cycle, but they ended up right back where they started.

KD's burner-account drama, which exploded during the 2026 All-Star break when alleged screenshots surfaced showing him criticizing teammates, might explain why the addition didn't go as planned. However, nobody knew what happened inside the building after those screenshots leaked until now.

Inside the Rockets' tense team meeting

During the February All-Star break, messages from an alleged burner account, '@gethigher77,' leaked online, criticizing teammates Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., along with former teammates from Durant's Warriors days. At practice, Durant brushed it off as 'Twitter nonsense."

Behind closed doors, it was more serious. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Rockets held a player-only meeting to address the tension and move forward.

"And look, that was, there was a discussion had among the players and they moved on from it, is what I was told," MacMahon said. "But like that's part of the KD when I say there's been an emotional roller coaster with KD this season. That's obviously a big part of it."

They did so publicly, but the locker room chemistry remained a question mark. Without the 37-year-old, Houston's young core -- Sengun, Smith, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Tari Eason -- found their rhythm. They won two elimination games without him, making people wonder if Durant actually fits with this group.

That dynamic, and what it means for Houston's roster construction this offseason, is now a million-dollar question heading into the summer.

More NBA news:

• Warriors predicted to part with Draymond Green, reunite with $194 million 16-time All-Star
• An Anthony Davis trade rumor could lead to another blockbuster move for the Lakers
• Lakers blowout Rockets in Game 6, advance to face Thunder in NBA Playoffs
• The Lakers get some good news about Peyton Watson ahead of the offseason
• Austin Reaves is glad to be playing for the LA Lakers once again