10 increasingly likely superstars the Rockets could consider this summer

10. Anthony Davis

As it currently stands, the Los Angeles Lakers don’t quite know what will happen with LeBron James. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has given cryptic messages for years now and even hinted at retirement last summer.

James has also declined to comment on his player option, which has led to even more speculation. James could actually bolt this summer and leave the Lakers, although that would be quite a shocker.

If James leaves, it’s not farfetched to think the Lakers would undergo a teardown and go through another rebuild. In this scenario, it would make sense for the Lakers to trade Anthony Davis and recoup some draft capital, which is where the Rockets would come into the equation, as they have prime picks, due to the Brooklyn Nets.

Davis would give the Rockets the defensive-minded big man they’ve been in search of since dealing Clint Capela in 2019-20, although Davis is much more complete and is capable of averaging 25 points per game.

9. Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers have been unable to get to the Promised Land through Joel Embiid’s prime. Part of that has to do with the constant changing of co-stars that we’ve seen from the Sixers’ brass, as long-time Rockets GM Daryl Morey ran Ben Simmons out of town for James Harden, only to also run Harden out of town.

Tyrese Maxey has ascended into stardom, but it could be a case of too little too late, based on Embiid’s comments over the summer.

The Rockets have reportedly been keeping tabs on Embiid’s situation and his friendship/relationship with Rockets coach Ime Udoka would seem to give the Rockets a tremendous boost, if Embiid requests a trade, as Udoka was in attendance of Embiid’s recent wedding.

If the Sixers have yet another postseason flame-out, Embiid would instantly become a realistic option for the Rockets this summer. And based on their history in the playoffs, Embiid could be an option for the Rockets in a few short months.