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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ben DuBose

Rockets free agency rumors: Brook Lopez stock up, James Harden down

As of 5:00 p.m. Central on Friday, June 30, free agency agreements can officially be reached around the NBA. That’s a very impactful date for the Houston Rockets, who have a league-leading figure of approximately $60 million in room beneath the salary cap.

For months, rumors swirled of a potential reunion with former franchise icon James Harden. However, many recent reports suggest that Harden could return to his current team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

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However, there’s more optimism surrounding a potential deal with Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. New Rockets coach Ime Udoka referenced wanting to add “different types of bigs” in his introductory press conference, and Lopez provides two clear strengths — interior defense and 3-point shooting — that Houston’s incumbent center, Alperen Sengun, does not have at the moment.

Other names frequently whispered include Memphis wing Dillon Brooks and Toronto guard Fred VanVleet. Both could bring a needed dose of defense and toughness to Houston, with VanVleet also a capable playmaker who is often less ball-dominant than Harden.

Entering free agency week and the official start of the 2023-24 league year, here’s a roundup of where things stand with the Rockets.

Woj: Rockets a real threat to sign Brook Lopez

The Bucks are also facing Brook Lopez’s free agency. There’s an expectation that the Houston Rockets, flushed with a lot of salary cap space, are going to be a real threat for Lopez.

(ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski)

Sixers determined to re-sign James Harden

They’re determined to keep James Harden, but it’ll be a negotiation. It’s probably not going to be just the traditional full max long term deal that he’s been able to command throughout his career.

Then, you look to his former home in Houston, where they have a tremendous amount of salary cap space. There’s been a mutual interest in a possible return there, but the Rockets have a lot of other options too in free agency as they build out their roster

(ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski)

Rockets to also target Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks?

I think they will spend a lot in the first couple days of free agency.

(ESPN’s Brian Windhorst)

KJ Martin available in trades?

The Rockets have maintained their stance that they aren’t looking to trade anyone from their core — including top-five picks in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. and recent first-rounders Alperen Şengün and Tari Eason. Elsewhere, there has been interest in 22-year-old forward Kenyon Martin Jr., sources say, with his combination of age and upside still intriguing to rival NBA teams and deemed attainable internally for the right price.

(Kelly Iko, The Athletic)

Matthew Mayer joining Rockets for summer league

Illinois’ Matthew Mayer has agreed to join the Rockets for NBA summer league, I’m told.

Brings positional size as a 6-foot-9 skilled wing. Meaningful big-game experience as a key cog in Baylor’s 2021 March Madness title run.

(Jon Chepkevich, DraftExpress.com)

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