With Houston having approximately $60 million in salary cap space entering the 2023 offseason, a potential reunion between James Harden and the Rockets has been rumored for months.
Could that also lead to a reunion among Harden, the Rockets and veteran guard Pat Beverley, who started alongside Harden in the backcourt from 2013 through 2017? As a stout defender, Beverley often took on the toughest perimeter assignment, thereby allowing Harden to concentrate more on the offensive end of the court.
According to Beverley, that reunion is possible. Here’s what he said on his own show, “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone“:
Rone: Do you really think that James Harden is going to go back to Houston, and is there any chance of you reuniting with him back in Houston?
Beverley: Very highly … very high chance. That was one of my decisions when I got traded from the Lakers. Houston was one of my … you know, but they told me “Pat, we don’t need you right now. You might not play, we need you to mentor young guys, blah blah blah.” I still wanted to play.
Beverley went on to refer to Ime Udoka, recently hired by the Rockets, as a great coach.
Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) just said on his podcast (@PatBevPod) there’s a high chance of him going back to Houston this off-season to reunite with James Harden 👀
(Link: https://t.co/HzQHCPTSgt) pic.twitter.com/6n8Ii6ugLi
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) May 23, 2023
Beverley, a 6-foot-2 guard, was traded from Los Angeles to the Magic in February before having the final year of his contract bought out, owing to Orlando’s status as a rebuilding team. In free agency, he signed with Chicago.
Now 34 years old, Beverley averaged 6.2 points (33.5% on 3-pointers), 3.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.1 minutes last season. His primary value was on the defensive side of the court, as usual, and that could make him a candidate for Houston’s room exception, which would allow a starting salary of approximately $7.6 million. That would allow the Rockets to use their cap space elsewhere.
The complete podcast episode can be viewed below.
