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.
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.
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.
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Time will tell, but it’s an interesting storyline to monitor as the league’s June 30 opening for free agency negotiations looms.
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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire
Source: Yahoo Sports
