After a miserable three-year stint, the Houston Rockets seem ready to put their losing ways behind them this summer. Houston will have plenty of space in free agency and a clear desire to win, and at the top of the aspiring free agency wish list is former MVP James Harden.
Even though Harden previously requested a trade from Houston, they seem to be placing all their free agency hopes on him, although that may not be the case anymore. According to NBA insider Mark Stein (subscription required)The Rockets have a backup plan in case Harden stays in Philadelphia or another team swoops in and steals him.
Houston has polarizing backup options if they fall short of Harden.
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will be a free agent this summer, and while he’s been linked to two teams, the Rockets are among the few teams that can sign him directly without needing help from their in-state rivals. However, that may not be enough to tempt Irving away from Dallas, who, despite missing the playoffs last season, still have a top 10 player in Luka Doncic.
Houston has quite a few promising young players, but barring a trade for a superstar, the Rockets can only offer Irving money — granted, a lot of it. He might only play that if Dallas lowers it and refuses to play the ball on mark and trade.
In addition to Irving, the Rockets reportedly have an interest in Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reeves, who caught the eye during the playoff run averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The Lakers are expected to match any offer, but the Rockets could make them think twice by offering him a structured contract to hurt the team financially.
Even if they land Irving and Reeves, the Rockets will probably have to overpay to do so, and unless there’s a deal following through on those moves, neither seems to be moving the needle enough to make them a contender, let alone a play-in team. This brings us to Harden, who was about 34 years old, still very good but just not the player he was at the height of his fame in Houston.
Signing him would also require the Rockets to make another big move, and that’s asking a lot for a front office that hasn’t done a particularly good job with rebuilding after Harden. In the end, whether the Rockets’ Plan A goes off without a hitch or they have to settle for Plan B, they’re going to need to do more to get back on track.