Kevin Durant and James Harden: teammates again in Houston? (Photo : Twitter)
The NBA Free Agency rumors continue for OKC Thunder's Kevin Durant and one of his suitors, even if both teams are in the playoffs.
The Houston Rockets have vowed to pursue Durant which is not at all surprising considering they have always pursued the big names. But this season is different. They will now face the Golden State Warriors but not in the Conference Finals like last year. It's a first round match-up that hardly anyone thinks the Rockets would win-a game, not the series, according to ESPN Insiders.
One of ESPN's experts, Amin Elhassan said: "Golden State in four because the only thing greater than the gap in talent between these two teams is the gap in execution."
Another expert, David Thorpe, cited the Warriors desire for rest since they went all-out until the very last game to pursue the 73-9 record. "But I suspect the smart team the Warriors are will have them value rest before facing the 4-5 seed," Thorpe said. "Expect this 73-win team, fresh off the high of that last game, to remain locked in."
With those odds against them, the Rockets can't be blamed for looking ahead towards next season, specifically GM Daryl Morey. The team has reiterated that they have their full support for their star James Harden, who incidentally, won Western Conference Player of the Month honors for leading the team in a mad dash for the playoffs.
In a report from Ken Berger of CBS Sports, there were some interesting takeaways regarding the Rockets. They would probably not keep interim coach JB Bickerstaff and one of the choices they are considering is Scott Brooks.
Brooks is an intriguing choice because he was the helm of the Oklahoma City triumvirate when they went to the NBA Finals in 2012. It was already declared that Harden will try his best to recruit his former teammate and hiring Brooks would be another step that might sway Durant's favor.
However, one snag in the Rockets' plan is Dwight Howard. Howard earlier declared that he would opt out of his contract and become a free agent but if the market is lukewarm, he may actually opt in and the Rockets would be stuck with him. If push comes to shove, they may have to trade.
If the Rockets solve that situation, could Harden and Brooks' presence bring Durant back to Texas where he played college ball?
