Despite his interest in returning to Houston, a 34-year-old James Harden was deemed too old in the 2023 offseason to fit with the young core of the rebuilding Rockets. The same holds true with Kevin Durant in 2024, despite some recent reports to the contrary.
However, if the player was closer to age alignment with Houston’s young core, general manager Rafael Stone would love to add a proven All-Star to help mold his team into an eventual title contender.
So, who might that player be? None are believed to be available in the 2024 offseason, but Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic dropped three names who could fit. They write:
So, who are the Rockets interested in as franchise centerpiece material? League sources say that Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (who is 27 and widely expected to sign an extension with the Cavs soon), the Suns’ Devin Booker (also 27), and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson (23) would all fit the bill. The only problem, of course, is that none of them are expected to be available anytime soon.
With Booker specifically, it could help the cause that Houston now owns several future first-round draft assets from Phoenix.
But in 2024, the Suns are still trying to compete with a veteran-laden core. Thus, the time for Stone and the Rockets to have a talk with Phoenix about Booker and those picks is likely at least a year away.
In the meantime, the Rockets will continue allowing their young core to grow, all while gaining more information on those younger players. Then, in 2025 and beyond, all sides can re-evaluate.
The Golden State Warriors have legitimate interest in making Paul George part of their new core alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green, per league sources.@sam_amick and @anthonyVslater on George's suitors and more ahead of NBA free agency ⤵️https://t.co/lFebdKlWnY pic.twitter.com/HWuu9jNbi0
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 28, 2024
