Rockets Rumors: No. 4 Draft Pick Expected to Be Used as 'Trade Bait,' NBA Execs Say

The Houston Rockets are a combined 59-177 the last three seasons, but they reportedly might use the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft to make a win-now move.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, "with Houston preparing to make an aggressive push to sign James Harden this summer, rival NBA executives believe this pick will be used as trade bait as the Rockets look to take a significant step forward next season."

Harden has been linked to a potential return to Houston at times this season, although the Philadelphia 76ers' decision to fire head coach Doc Rivers following a second-round loss to the Boston Celtics may impact the guard's future.

After all, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne spoke to a source who said, "It would be hard for me to see James wanting to come back and play for Doc again" before the coach was fired.

ESPN's Zach Lowe then reported a return to Houston is anything but a guarantee at this point.

"The team's firing of Doc Rivers Tuesday morning had several league sources in Chicago cautioning that James Harden's much-rumored interest in returning to the Houston Rockets may not be such a shoo-in with Rivers gone in Philly," Lowe wrote.

It should be noted Harden took to social media and appeared to push back at some of the recent reports:

The 10-time All-Star has a $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 campaign and would need to decline it if he is going to return to the Rockets next season. He played for Houston from 2012-13 until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 season.

He will be 34 years old next season and presumably isn't that interested in a full-blown rebuilding situation in Houston. Perhaps trading the No. 4 pick will allow the Rockets to add more veteran pieces to the roster in an effort to return to the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

There is also something to be said about a perceived dropoff from the top three picks to the rest of the group of prospects in this draft.

Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller are potential franchise cornerstones, but Houston likely won't get the opportunity to land any of them without trading up ahead of the draft.

That could increase their motivation to move the pick in an effort to be a more desirable destination for Harden or other free agents.