NBA Rumors: Jordan Clarkson, Lakers FA Rui Hachimura Among Rockets' Offseason Targets

The Houston Rockets have a long list of players they might spend their league-high cap space of $60 million on when NBA free agency begins Friday.

The Rockets are interested in Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson and Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, a source told Texas Sports Nation's Jonathan Feigen.

Houston is also considering targeting Lakers guard Austin Reaves, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton and center Brook Lopez, Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson, Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo, Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Dillon Brooks, Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl and Dallas Mavericks forward/center Dwight Powell, Feigen reported.

The Rockets have also reportedly expressed interest in Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, making them potential suitors for most big names likely to be available in free agency.

According to Feigen, the Rockets are not looking to fill a specific position as much as generally searching for veteran talent.

The likelihood of the targets on the Rockets' reported list actually booking a ticket to Houston varies. For one, Hachimura is an RFA, and NBA insider Marc Stein reported last Sunday that the Lakers' "Plan A" is to re-sign both him and Reaves.

Johnson is also an RFA, and competing teams might out have to beat out a reported Nets deal of around four years and $84 million, according to SNY's Ian Begley.

Clarkson, who averaged a career-best 20.8 points per game last season, has a player option with the Jazz for 2023-24. His availability will depend if he wants to stay in Utah for $14.26 million or to try his luck on the market.

In Philadelphia, Harden is in a similar situation as he weights a $35.64 million player option with the Sixers. There's a possibility he wants to end up back in Houston, where he led the NBA in points per game between 2017 and 2020. But securing the 10-time All-Star could require offering a maximum deal (Harden could make $47 million next season if the Sixers max out a four-year offer.) The Rockets can afford to compete, but are they willing to give up a majority of their available cap space for Harden, who turns 34 next month?

General manager Rafael Stone, who took the helm of the franchise in 2020, said in April that the Rockets are "coming to the end of the first stage" of their three-season rebuild, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez. The next step could be to acquire one of the players on this list.