Rockets Rumors: James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton Among Offseason Targets

The Houston Rockets are loaded with cap space heading into the summer, and they may try to use it to lure several star players to the organization this offseason.

Among those potential targets are Philadelphia 76ers point guard James Harden and Milwaukee Bucks wing Khris Middleton, per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer:

"Houston's long-rumored potential reunion with Harden, the 76ers guard who holds a player option for 2023-24, in addition to the Rockets' chances at landing other primary free agents and top-billing trade targets this offseason, were repeated themes throughout Houston's conversations with coaching candidates, sources said. Middleton has been another potential target discussed throughout the Rockets' coaching search, sources said."

Additionally, per Fischer, Jaylen Brown, "whom rival executives are closely monitoring as he becomes extension eligible this summer, has been one of [new head coach Ime] Udoka's most public supporters after Boston suspended the coach following an improper relationship with a Celtics staffer."

Of course, much of Houston's thinking could be guided by the upcoming NBA draft lottery on Tuesday, May 16.

Win the top overall pick and the opportunity to draft once-in-a-lifetime talent Victor Wembanyama, and suddenly everything in Houston's offseason approach would—or at the very least, should—become focused on building a team around Wembanyama.

It's a very feasible scenario. Houston has 14 percent odds to claim the top selection, tied with the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs for the best odds. If you land Wembanyama to pair with Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr., why rush into a rebuild?

Why not use that ample cap space—over $60 million—to bring in complementary veterans on short-term deals to show the young guys the ropes? Let them take their lumps, figure out which young players best fit with Wembanyama and take it from there.

If the Rockets don't land Wembanyama, however, it's more feasible to see a scenario in which they try to rebuild a contender quickly through free agency given their massive cap space. If they could bring aboard a Harden and Middleton, for instance, they might then have the young talent and draft capital to swing a trade for a third star.

As Fischer noted, "The Rockets, sources said, also addressed the idea of including second-year guard Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as part of a package for acquiring established star talent."

So the Rockets may have a very fascinating summer ahead of them. It seems likely to be an all-or-nothing situation—either the Rockets land several high-end stars this summer, or they land none. Why would a Harden or Middleton sign in Houston without assurances that more star power was on the way?

It's hard to imagine Harden returning simply because he loves the city of Houston, and guiding a young roster that hasn't won 25 games in any of the past three seasons. If he indeed still wants to chase rings at this stage in his career, returning to Houston only makes sense if the Rockets have other plans in place to acquire established stars this summer.

Regardless, the possibility of landing a top overall pick, the significant cap space the team holds and the consistent buzz about a potential Harden reunion makes the Rockets an intriguing team to monitor this offseason.