The Houston Rockets reportedly plan to pursue Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant when he becomes a free agent in 2016. Houston also has an ace up their sleeve: James Harden, the former teammate of Durant.
Add Houston to the list of teams planning to make a run at Durant in two years. ESPN's Marc Stein confirmed Houston's interest in signing the reigning MVP, and he reported the Rockets general manager Daryl Morey plans to use Harden to sell Houston to Durant.
"(In the summer of 2016), sources say, they'd like to give Harden an opportunity to serve as Houston's lead recruiter in the pursuit of a free agent named Kevin Wayne Durant," Stein wrote Tuesday. Morey is naturally unwilling (and not allowed by league rules) to discuss any specifics on those fronts. But he likewise won't budge from his oft-recited claims that the Rockets - no matter what you think of their July dealings or how his critics in rival front offices see it - remain a top-five destination in the league that is home to two of the NBA's top 10 players."
If Durant does leave Oklahoma City, most believe the Washington Wizards - his hometown team - would be the frontrunners to sign him.
Houston will also have a large chunk of salary cap space this summer, when they could pursue potential free agents Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic. Rondo appears likely to re-sign with the Boston Celtics, but Dragic appears to be a realistic option. Although had a stint in Houston before, his breakout season last year with the Phoenix Suns would certainly have Morey considering bringing him back in free agency, if Dragic opts out of his contract in July.
