Ranking 7 former Ime Udoka players the Rockets could trade for

Jaylen Brown and Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics. Omar Rawlings/GettyImages
Jaylen Brown and Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics. Omar Rawlings/GettyImages | Omar Rawlings/GettyImages
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Former Udoka players No. 6: Tobias Harris

Just prior to taking the Celtics head coaching job, Udoka was a top assistant for Doc Rivers with the Philadelphia 76ers. While any relationship he built with Joel Embiid is pointless in a trade conversation as the MVP-favorite is staying put in Philly, there is another talented scorer on the Sixers that could be a trade candidate.

Harris has been a walking bucket since his second season in the NBA, seeing his scoring dip to 14.7 this season because of a reduced role, not poor efficiency. The 6'8" forward shot 50.1 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from deep, and served as the third option for a 76ers offense that ranked fourth in the league.

The difficulty with trading for Harris is not his production, nor his availability; an increasingly-expensive 76ers team may very well be willing to part with Harris to keep James Harden. The issue is his large salary, as Harris will make $39.3 million next season in the final year of a five-year, $180 million contract.

If they can sort the money out, Harris could be a great fit on the Rockets next season. He can shift some of the scoring burden off of Jalen Green, is versatile enough to fit alongside Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun or Tari Eason in the frontcourt, and is good enough as a passer, rebounder and defender not to get killed. He isn't a game-changer, but he is a really good player that may appreciate playing for coach Udoka again.

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