Author: Monojit Mandal
The Houston Rockets have made it clear that acquiring Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is their main objective in free agency this summer. The Rockets believe that playing Harden again is the best approach to help their young core flourish. If the Rockets fail to sign Harden, they have identified two other highly competent guards as possible targets. According to Marc-Stein of NBA-Insider, one alternative is point guard Kyrie-Irving, star of the Dallas Mavericks.
Irving’s availability outside of Dallas sparked minimal interest, probably due to his reputation as a difficult player to manage.
The Mavericks acquired Irving before the trade deadline by swapping several assets, so they have a strong interest in re-signing him, even if it’s just to keep him as a valuable trade piece. If Harden decides to stay in Philadelphia, the Mavericks could have competition from other clubs for Irving’s services.
Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.9 3-pointers per game, while shooting 51.0% from the field in 20 games with Dallas. Despite their exceptional performance, the Mavericks went 8-12 during this period, missing the playoffs and finishing 11th in the Western Conference.
Marc Stein has published a list of possible free agent targets for the Houston-Rockets. Notable names include Toronto-Raptors standout point guard Fred-VanVleet and Milwaukee-Bucks star Khris-Middleton. However, it seems that the Rockets will be looking for experienced players to reinforce their team. The Rockets, with an estimated cap space of more than $60 million, are set to be one of the clubs with the most financial flexibility this summer, regardless of whether or not they land their top targets.
Kyrie Irving is a professional basketball player from the United States who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. He has seven NBA All-Star picks to his credit, six All-NBA honors and four All-NBA Third-Team awards. He also has two NBA titles, one with the Cleveland-Cavaliers in 2016 and the other with the Boston Celtics in 2020.
Irving was born to a Jewish father and a black mother in Melbourne, Australia. He moved to the United States when he was two years old and attended St. Patrick’s School in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he was a highly sought-after recruit. Despite having committed to play college basketball at Duke University, he opted to forgo college and enter the NBA right after finishing his senior year.
Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his debut season, he quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league, averaging 22.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was crowned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year after being chosen for the All-Rookie First Team.
Irving led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016. He was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game during the Finals. Irving left the Cavaliers to join the Celtics in 2017. He averaged 24.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in his two seasons with the Celtics, earning All-NBA third team honors in 2018. Irving signed with the Brooklyn-Nets in 2019, where he played for two seasons, averaging 27.4 points per game.