The Houston Rockets have become increasingly linked to Kyrie Irving in recent days.
Although ownership has made it no secret that it fancies a reunion with James Harden, a report surfaced last week that described Irving as an alternative option in the event that Harden returns to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Given that prior to this Irving had primarily only been linked to the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, many were left intrigued by this new possible destination for him.
So how likely is it that Irving becomes a Rocket?
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Irving isn’t a huge priority for Houston at the moment. In fact, the organization sees him as a third choice behind the likes of Harden and Fred VanVleet.
The Rockets have also been linked to a fairly substantial possible trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
What is interesting about Houston is that it is one of the few teams in the league who has enough cap space to simply sign Irving outright. It just seems like ownership doesn’t really want to go that route unless forced to.
At this point Irving has made his preference regarding his next team perfectly clear. The Lakers have also made their feelings about Irving known.
The question is just where all parties go from here.
Dallas continues to be the option that provides Irving with the biggest potential payday – assuming he is willing to come back. The Mavericks have made it clear that they will not help facilitate a sign-and-trade.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/eX8GY0NvCE
— Game 7 (@game7__) June 19, 2023
Either Irving returns to them, or he has to go take less money somewhere else. There is no other option.
One way or another, the next few weeks promise to be interesting.
Where will Irving end up when it’s all said and done? Time will tell.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
