Report: Rockets could pursue Kyrie Irving as James Harden alternative

The Houston Rockets have significant salary cap flexibility entering the NBA’s 2023 free agency, and rumors of a reunion with superstar guard James Harden have swirled for months.

But Harden isn’t the only high-profile guard available on the market. Per veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein, another option is Kyrie Irving, who most recently played with the Dallas Mavericks.

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Stein writes:

I have also heard that the Rockets, in the event that they are unable to lure Harden away from Philadelphia and back to Houston, plan to weigh a run at Dallas’ Kyrie Irving.

Irving certainly comes with baggage, but he’s a dynamic on-court player. In the 2022-23 campaign with the Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets, he averaged 27.1 points (49.4% FG, 37.9% on 3-pointers), 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 turnovers in 37.4 minutes per game.

Per @TheSteinLine this morning:

“Other free agents-to-be that have been linked to the Rockets in recent weeks include Toronto’s Fred VanVleet, Brooklyn’s restricted free agent Cam Johnson, Memphis’ Dillon Brooks and the Milwaukee duo of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.

I have…

— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) June 11, 2023

In contrast to Harden, who turns 34 in August, the 31-year-old Irving could be a better candidate for a multi-year contract — since his age-related decline likely isn’t as imminent. Irving also appears to have a strong relationship with young Rockets guard Jalen Green.

For the Rockets, it’s simply a question of whether Irving’s upside as a player is worth the baggage in the eyes of general manager Rafael Stone and new head coach Ime Udoka. For Irving, the question is whether he’s truly interested in joining a young, rebuilding team, or if perhaps he’s looking to use Houston’s potential interest as leverage for a better deal with Dallas or some other probable playoff team.

Time will tell, but it’s an interesting storyline to monitor as the league’s June 30 opening for free agency negotiations looms.