Ime Udoka told James Harden not to sign Rockets contract so he could chase NBA title | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The Houston Rockets certainly would have been better in Ime Udoka’s first season as head coach of the team in 2023-24 if James Harden had been on the roster.

But the head coach also knew Houston wasn’t ready to compete for a championship right away, and he let Harden know that when the future Hall of Famer was deciding where to sign in the offseason following the 2022-23 season.

“My biggest question for us was, ‘What’s the best fit for our young guys to continue to grow?'” Udoka said, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “But also out of respect for James (I told him), ‘You’re at the point where you want to win and we’re not there yet.’ And it wasn’t just James, they had five, six experienced guys on championship teams (that summer), and I told everyone the same thing.

“They all went to other places, but they had Golden State, Milwaukee, Phoenix and all these teams (they wanted to come). But I told them, ‘We’re not there. Try to win a championship.’ So it depends on how fit we are and where we are… Our (young) guys needed the reps.”

Amick noted that despite their mutual respect, Harden and Udoka’s vision for the Rockets “just wasn’t a good fit,” noting that “taking a ball-dominating all-time great who was never known for his defense wasn’t the way to go.” with the plan to “build a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offense.”

Harden eventually signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

That didn’t quite work out as planned, as the Clippers lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. Additionally, George is now with the Philadelphia 76ers, while Leonard has yet to play this season due to injury.

Houston posted a 41-41 record in Udoka’s first season and, ironically, appears closer to contending for a championship in his second season than Harden’s Clippers. The Rockets are in third place in the Western Conference standings at 17-9, while Los Angeles is in ninth place at 14-12.

Young players like Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. have made strides, and there is experienced leadership in Fred VanVleet in the backcourt.

Things likely would have looked very different if Harden had dominated the ball and perhaps influenced some of the younger players’ development, and Udoka recognized that before coaching a single game for the Rockets.