The Houston Rockets are preparing to make the all-important upwards curve that comes at the tail-end of a rebuild. They have a solid young core, anchored by 2021 #2 pick Jalen Green and 2022 #3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. They have improved from 17 wins in 2021 to 20 wins in 2022 to 22 wins this past season. The only thing the team is missing is a point guard.
Holding the #4 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, the Rockets are in a prime position to select a franchise cornerstone. Depending on what the Blazers do at #3, the Rockets could end up with a highly-touted PG prospect like Scoot Henderson or Armen Thompson. However, since declining his player option with the Sixers, point guard James Harden has been eagerly talking about a return to Houston. However, that's not a move everyone is loving.
Paul George Goes Off About Harden To The Rockets
Speaking with Jalen Green, George blasted the idea of the Rockets bringing Harden back. “Personally, I wouldn’t. At this point, that’s your team. You’re the king of Houston. They made their decision on who the future is. When you pick a guy with the fourth pick, he’s our guy. They full-on committed to who the future is. Like you got to go through this. You got to go through being double-teamed, triple-teamed, being a target every time and you gotta go through that. You bring on someone like James who’s such a ball-dominant player like that’s gonna hinder your growth a little bit, you know what I mean? Regardless of how it can elevate you on another level of him teaching you and you learning off of him, I feel like for you, you’ve already been through the fire. So, let you continue to learn."
Harden's return to the Rockets is not yet confirmed. However, given how eager the veteran point guard appears to be for the move, it could become a very real possibility. However, what do you think? Should the Rockets pursue Harden? Or should they continue developing their young core without a big-name veteran like Harden? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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