Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Ime Udoka Shares James Harden Free Agency Conversation

James Harden nearly signed with the Houston Rockets in free agency last summer.
Jeremy Brener|
Dec 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) warms up prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) warms up prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets pushed all their chips into free agency in the summer of 2023, signing Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks among others to help right the ship for the franchise.

After three consecutive losing seasons, the Rockets were in need of new direction, which is why they hired Ime Udoka to be their new head coach.

Udoka's arrival piqued the interests of a few different free agents, including Rockets legend James Harden, who was possibly looking to leave the Philadelphia 76ers at the time. Udoka and Harden crossed paths while the two were with the Brooklyn Nets, but the coach warned the player of his ill fit in Houston.

“My main thing for us was, ‘What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’” Udoka said via The Athletic insider Sam Amick. “But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), ‘You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet.’ And it wasn’t just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.

“They all went to other places, but they had Golden State, Milwaukee, Phoenix and all these teams (wanting them) to come. But I told them, ‘We’re not there. Go try to win a championship.’ And so, it’s just about fit and where we’re at. … Our (young) guys needed the reps.”

Now, Harden is with the Los Angeles Clippers, but Udoka's Rockets have made some noise, and both teams are in the thick of things in the Western Conference.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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