In addition to the Rockets’ longstanding interest in free agent-to-be LeBron James, another noteworthy longtime target of general manager Daryl Morey is Paul George, two league sources told Rockets Wire.
Immediately after agreeing on a deal to bring Chris Paul to Houston last June, Morey was reportedly aggressive in the pursuit of George, then with the Indiana Pacers. Ultimately, George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder to combine with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Many had that trio pegged for Western Conference greatness, but the Thunder won 46 games and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Utah Jazz. With the offseason approaching, the Rockets will once again be aggressive in free agency, targeting James or George, both sources said. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on the record about George.
Speaking Wednesday during Houston’s exit interviews after losing Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Morey remained confident that his front office has the capability to maneuver the cap to make space for another max-level player.
A max contract for James or George would likely come with a first-year salary around $35 million, meaning Houston would have to make moves to open up more cap space to make either deal happen. Houston currently is slated to have $85.1 million on the books for next season, with the salary cap projected around $101 million. That’s before factoring in Paul’s $35.5 million cap hold, which counts against Houston’s total until he either signs a new contract with the team or leaves for another team.
If George or James decide they want to play in Houston, the easiest way to make it happen without the team sacrificing too much depth would be for either player to pick up his player option for next season before the end of June and engineer a trade. This is how Paul came to the Rockets last year, foregoing his player option and pushing the Los Angeles Clippers to work out a trade rather than losing him for nothing. Any deal for James or George would have to include power forward Ryan Anderson for salary-matching purposes, although it’s unlikely either Cleveland or Oklahoma City would want to take back the two years and $41.6 million remaining on Anderson’s deal.
Landing James or George is difficult for Houston, but not impossible. Morey insisted Wednesday that he has a path to improving the team, and he’s been known to think outside the box in years past.
Where James decides to go is a mystery the entire league is attempting to solve, and there likely won’t be much clarity on his future until after the end of the NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and the Warriors, which begins Thursday. However, if the Rockets want any shot at landing Paul George, they will have to fend off serious competition from the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have made it known that George is a priority for them, having even been fined for tampering earlier this season.
