Kyrie Irving trade news: SURPRISE CONTENDER emerges in race to sign superstar PG

The Houston Rockets are reportedly eyeing Kyrie Irving as a potential backup plan if James Harden stays with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kyrie Irving trade news: SURPRISE CONTENDER emerges in race to sign superstar PG

Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks (Via The Cold Wire)

The Houston Rockets have a lot of money to spend this summer, and they’re not afraid to use it. They’re looking to make a splash in free agency and land a star player who can help them bounce back from a disastrous season that saw them finish with the second-worst record (22-60) in the NBA.

Their top target is James Harden, the former MVP who left them in a messy divorce in 2021 and joined the Brooklyn Nets and then the Philadelphia Sixers. Harden is now a free agent and has to decide whether to stay with the Sixers, or return to the Rockets, where he spent eight years and became one of the best scorers in league history.

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But what if Harden chooses to stick with the Sixers and play alongside Joel Embiid? According to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post, the Rockets have a backup plan: Kyrie Irving.

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Stein reports that the Rockets could pursue Irving as a fallback option if Harden re-signs with the Sixers. The Rockets have enough cap space to sign Irving outright or work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Sixers. They also have some young assets and draft picks that could entice the Sixers in that scenario.

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Other options for the Rockets besides Kyrie Irving

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Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green (0) celebrates with Eric Gordon (10) (Via David J. Phillip/AP)

If the Rockets can’t land Irving or Harden, they still have other options to improve their roster this summer. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, they are interested in Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who had a career-best season with 19.3 points and 7.2 assists per game.

A more realistic option for the Rockets could be Dillon Brooks, a forward from the Memphis Grizzlies who averaged 14.3 points per game and emerged as a lockdown defender in the playoffs. Brooks is also a restricted free agent, but the Grizzlies might not be able to match a big offer from the Rockets given their salary cap situation.

The Rockets have plenty of choices to improve their roster this summer, but they might have their sights set on one of the biggest names in the league: Kyrie Irving. Whether they can convince him to join them remains to be seen.

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