As of 5:00 p.m. Central on Friday, June 30, free agency agreements can officially be reached around the NBA. That’s a very impactful date for the Houston Rockets, who have a league-leading figure of approximately $60 million in room beneath the salary cap.
For months, rumors swirled of a potential reunion with former franchise icon James Harden. However, many recent reports suggest that Harden could return to his current team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
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However, there’s more optimism surrounding a potential deal with Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. New Rockets coach Ime Udoka referenced wanting to add “different types of bigs” in his introductory press conference, and Lopez provides two clear strengths — interior defense and 3-point shooting — that Houston’s incumbent center, Alperen Sengun, does not have at the moment.
Other names frequently whispered include Memphis wing Dillon Brooks and Toronto guard Fred VanVleet. Both could bring a needed dose of defense and toughness to Houston, with VanVleet also a capable playmaker who is often less ball-dominant than Harden.
Entering free agency week and the official start of the 2023-24 league year, here’s a roundup of where things stand with the Rockets.
The Bucks are also facing Brook Lopez’s free agency. There’s an expectation that the Houston Rockets, flushed with a lot of salary cap space, are going to be a real threat for Lopez.
Woj confirms the Rockets are going to be a “real threat” to sign Brook Lopez this summer. pic.twitter.com/WgYL8JkMJs
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 23, 2023
They’re determined to keep James Harden, but it’ll be a negotiation. It’s probably not going to be just the traditional full max long term deal that he’s been able to command throughout his career.
Then, you look to his former home in Houston, where they have a tremendous amount of salary cap space. There’s been a mutual interest in a possible return there, but the Rockets have a lot of other options too in free agency as they build out their roster
The Sixers are “determined” to re-sign James Harden this offseason, per @wojespn:
– Probably won’t end up being traditional max contract Harden has sought.
– There’s been mutual interest between Harden and the Rockets, but mentions Houston has various options heading into free… pic.twitter.com/8G59ig9PjU
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 24, 2023
I think they will spend a lot in the first couple days of free agency.
.@WindhorstESPN on the Rockets (Hoop Collective last night):
“I think they will spend a lot in the first couple days of free agency.”
-Houston will go after Fred VanVleet
-Philly is increasingly optimistic about retaining James Harden
-Rockets will also pursue Dillon Brooks and… pic.twitter.com/2s0kbFlhuD— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) June 23, 2023
The Rockets have maintained their stance that they aren’t looking to trade anyone from their core — including top-five picks in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. and recent first-rounders Alperen Şengün and Tari Eason. Elsewhere, there has been interest in 22-year-old forward Kenyon Martin Jr., sources say, with his combination of age and upside still intriguing to rival NBA teams and deemed attainable internally for the right price.
Illinois’ Matthew Mayer has agreed to join the Rockets for NBA summer league, I’m told.
Brings positional size as a 6-foot-9 skilled wing. Meaningful big-game experience as a key cog in Baylor’s 2021 March Madness title run.
(Jon Chepkevich, DraftExpress.com)
Illinois’ Matthew Mayer has agreed to join the Houston Rockets for NBA Summer League, I’m told.
Brings positional size as a 6’9 ½” skilled wing.
Meaningful big game experience as a key cog in Baylor’s 2021 March Madness title run.
— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) June 23, 2023
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