Kyrie Irving to Rockets Would Be 'Shocking,' Says Insider

The Houston Rockets have been linked to Kyrie Irving in free agency. However, one insider believes that the Dallas Mavericks point guard won't be making his way down south.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 19, 2023

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The NBA is about to be shaken up with the draft on Thursday and free agency shortly after.

Luckily for the Houston Rockets, their position holding the No. 4 pick in the draft and the most cap space in the league gives them a front row seat to all the action. While the Rockets have their sights set on former franchise cornerstone James Harden, there have been rumors that link his former teammate with the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving, to Houston.

However, The Athletic's Kelly Iko believes that Irving won't be signing a deal with the Rockets this summer.

"The Kyrie to the Rockets link makes sense because he’s a talented point guard, but when you think of the logistics that have to go behind that deal, I’d be shocked if that happened," Iko said on the HoopsHype podcast.

As a member of the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 60 games during the 2022-23 season.

There is uncertainty surrounding the possibility of him re-signing with the Mavericks in July, who traded for him in February after a three-year stint with the Nets.

Irving is up for a four-year, $220.6 million deal to remain with the Mavericks. There isn't a huge market for the eight-time All-Star at the moment. But the Los Angeles Lakers are the primary team most likely to pursue Irving, which would reunite him with his former championship teammate LeBron James.

The reasons why Irving would want to sign in Houston are unknown. However, he would be the team's best player and have a leadership opportunity with the Rockets as opposed to being the second or third-best player on a different team.

The Rockets have their eyes on veteran point guards and will pursue options outside of Harden should he sign elsewhere, but Irving being the alternative solution doesn't add up either.

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Published Jun 19, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.