Report: Houston Rockets To Target Kevin Durant In 2016

The Houston Rockets are an organization that will continue to be contender for any and all big name free agents as long as GM Daryl Morey is running the ship. This is why it was not a huge surprise when a report broke today by Marc Stein of ESPN, that the Houston Rockets would target Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant in the free agency of 2016 and use James Harden as the lead recruiter in that pursuit.

"The Rockets are widely expected to take a step back this season, thanks to all the depth they squandered on the Bosh dice roll, but they expect to have significant salary-cap room next summer — when they can chase point guards as accomplished as Goran Dragic and Rajon Rondo if they choose — as well as in the summer of 2016.Which is when, sources say, they’d like to give Harden an opportunity to serve as Houston’s lead recruiter in the pursuit of a free agent named Kevin Wayne Durant."

This wasn’t the first time Kevin Durant’s name had been mentioned alongside the Houston Rockets. In an interview last year conducted by Bill Simmons of Grantland, Jalen Rose was the first to officially entertain the possibility of the former MVP leaving Oklahoma City for greener pastures in the city of Houston.

“I think, after he plays out the couple years on his contract, that he goes to Houston to play with Dwight Howard and James Harden,” Rose told Simmons. When Jalen Rose first said this, it was viewed as a complete fairy tale, but following the report from Marc Stein and as the free agency of 2016 looms ahead, the possibility of this absolutely dominant trio assembling continues to grow.

Feb 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during the NBA All Star Game commissioner press conference at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

How in the world can the Rockets afford to pay these three superstars? Let me explain. This past Wednesday, news broke of the NBA extending its’ partnership with Turner Broadcasting. This new deal generated an insane amount of money for the league. The New York Times reports the deal worth $2.66 billion annually which is completely out of this world. To put this in perspective, the last deal was worth $930 million annually. With the new cap already expected to jump to $66.5 million in 2015-16 (Last years’ salary cap was $58.68 million), the salary cap in 2016-17 is expected to exceed at the least $80 million! That’s a huge payday for teams for teams that will already have superstars under contract such as the Houston Rockets.

There will be some complications with getting the money just right to add that third max contract player of Durant’s caliber, however. The main hurdle would be Dwight Howard. How so? Well, when Dwight Howard signed a four-year max deal with Houston in 2013, he received an early termination option in 2016. That means Howard could potentially become a free agent in the same year as Durant. If Howard were to opt out and request another max contract under the new CBA from Houston, it could make it really difficult for Houston to pursue a player like Kevin Durant.

Dec 29, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) attempts a shot against Houston Rockets power forward Dwight Howard (12) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

However, it is still very possible. Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey is not one to relinquish flexibility whenever completing any deal (As apparent in the Chandler Parsons debacle). With a few insignificant trades here and there, Houston could very well position itself to score yet another max free agent in 2016 and still be able to retain Howard under a new contract if they choose to do so.

Why would Durant ever leave Oklahoma City? Some believe Kevin Durant is still disgruntled to this very day with Thunder management for trading away star shooting guard James Harden to Houston in 2012. The Thunder still have not yet managed to make it to the Finals since the last year they had Harden on their roster. While a core of Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and Durant is still a very compelling case to stay in Oklahoma City, if the Thunder don’t manage to achieve the postseason success that they covet, they could very well be seeing the last of Durant’s tenure in Oklahoma City.

The other destination that could make a compelling case to acquire Durant in 2016, is the Washington Wizards. Lebron’s decision to go back home and play for his hometown in Cleveland caught the eye of young Kevin Durant and he has even entertained the thought of following in Lebrons footsteps.

“I grew up watching the Bullets/Wizards. I grew up taking the train to that arena, all the time, to watch Georgetown, the Bullets, the Washington Mystics. That whole city is a part of me. It’s in my blood. I love going back home, seeing my family and playing there, but I love Oklahoma City too”, Durant said when asked about the possibility of him making a similar homecoming to Washington. Durant quickly added to his statement leaving the door open for any possible outcome, “Who knows what will happen? I never close the door on anything. But I like where I’m at right now, so I can’t answer that question”.

Feb 14, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant and Houston Rockets guard James Harden during the 2014 Rising Stars Challenge at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Now a core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant would certainly be quite interesting, but Durant has no connection with either Wall or Beal and that is something very important to keep in mind because chemistry matters in this league.

If Durant doesn’t win a championship by 2016, he will certainly want to go to a destination with a team that is primed to “win now”. This is where Houston comes into play.

Durant already has well-established chemistry with James Harden from their years of playing together in Oklahoma City and in Marc Stein’s report, Harden would be the lead man in recruiting Durant. A core of Harden, Howard, and Durant looks absolutely brutal on paper and since Durant already has experience of playing alongside Harden, it would not take long for the group to develop chemistry.

As stated before, this new TV deal opens up boundless opportunities for teams and you can already bet that teams are already clearing their books to make a run at Durant. However, teams with established stars such as Washington and Houston stand far above the pack.

Report: Houston Rockets To Target Kevin Durant In 2016; James Harden To Be Lead Recruiter

By Salman Ali | Oct 7, 2014