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The Houston Rockets have one of the youngest cores in the NBA, headlined by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. These players are years away from their primes, and it would make sense for the Rockets to stand pat and wait for them to develop.
However, after finishing the 2022-23 season with a record of 22-60, the Rockets seemingly want to accelerate their progress as team, and their one way of doing that is to acquire an established star that could help them right away.
With that in mind, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported that the Rockets are eyeing the likes of Khris Middleton, James Harden and Jaylen Brown, and have addressed the idea of shopping former No.2 overall pick Jalen Green.
Per Yahoo Sports:
“Houston’s long-rumored potential reunion with Harden, the 76ers guard who holds a player option for 2023-24, in addition to the Rockets’ chances at landing other primary free agents and top-billing trade targets this offseason, were repeated themes throughout Houston’s conversations with coaching candidates, sources said. Middleton has been another potential target discussed throughout the Rockets’ coaching search, sources said. Udoka spent time with Harden as an assistant during the All-Star guard’s first season in Brooklyn. And Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown, whom rival executives are closely monitoring as he becomes extension eligible this summer, has been one of Udoka’s most public supporters after Boston suspended the coach following an improper relationship with a Celtics staffer. The Rockets, sources said, also addressed the idea of including second-year guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as part of a package for acquiring established star talent.”
