Despite parting ways with Russell Westbrook this offseason, the Houston Rockets still don’t have any plan of moving James Harden anytime soon. As of now, they continue to find ways to improve their roster in order to change his mind about leaving Houston. After the blockbuster deal where they acquired John Wall from the Washington Wizards, the Rockets could potentially go after Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love next.
According to Lee Tran of Fadeaway World , Houston may consider sending a package that includes Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House Jr. to Cleveland in exchange for Love.
“The Rockets have traded Russell Westbrook for John Wall, bringing some fresh faces into town. Meanwhile, they’ve made some interesting signings, including Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins. That signals that they’re willing to experiment with bigger lineups, instead of consistent 5 out small-ball under D’Antoni. Kevin Love could fit into this scheme as a mobile big man, shifting Wood down to the SF position. Having Wall at the point guard also benefits the big man, as Wall is known to feed his big men, and Love can feast all day off of dump-offs and wide-open threes created by Wall’s playmaking.”
Love could be an incredible addition to the Rockets, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc. Having a floor-spacing big man like Love could be beneficial for Harden as it would make it easier for him to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when he’s trapped by the opposing team’s defense. Aside from being a reliable three-point shooter, Love could potentially give Houston a great low-post scorer and a monster rebounder.
Last season, the 32-year-old power forward averaged 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three-point range, per ESPN . If Harden and Love manage to stay healthy and Wall and DeMarcus Cousins regain their All-Star forms, the Rockets could form a fearsome foursome that would give them a better chance of dominating the loaded Western Conference and capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2020-21 NBA season.
As of now, Love hasn’t shown any strong indication that he’s no longer happy with the Cavaliers. However, at this point in his career, there’s a chance he might be intrigued by the idea of playing for a team that has a realistic chance of making a huge noise next year than spending another season as part of a rebuilding squad.