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[SleepingHero]

From Stein (remember when I brought up this possibility some time back):

IfIIIf Harden stays put in Philly …

James Harden is routinely billed as the Rockets' top target in free agency, but several other names have circulated, not surprisingly, given that Houston is projected to have an estimated $59 million in salary cap space this summer.

IifIFOther free-aagents-to-be that have been linked to the Rockets in recent weeks include Toronto's Fred VanVleet, Brooklyn's restricted free agent Cam Johnson, Memphis' Dillon Brooks and the Milwaukee duo of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.

I have also heard that the Rockets, in the event that they are unable to lure Harden away from Philadelphia and back to Houston, plan to weigh a run at Dallas' Kyrie Irving.

The Mavericks remain the league's only known team with definitive interest in signing the mercurial Irving next month, but league sources say that the Rockets have been increasingly cited as a team that could (stress: could) join the bidding if Harden elects to stay with the 76ers


Of course, Houston will provide leverage to every FA of any note this summer until they actually use their space.

Well there it is. I also had this possibility on my radar as early as March. There are a lot of question marks, and it seems like Stein is speculating much like we were a couple of months ago, so I'm not reading this as if the Rockets have interest in Irving, but rather HOU is a legit place that Kyrie can use as leverage against the Mavs in order to get his max 4 year deal.