Though the 2023 NBA offseason is many months away, rumors are already swirling of a potential James Harden reunion in Houston. After all, the Rockets are poised to have significant salary cap room, and Harden has the right to become a free agent.

But is that the right move for either side?

Friday’s show explores the potential motivations for both Harden and the Rockets. With a Rockets-centric panel of Ben DuBose, Paulo Alves, and James Piercey, discussion topics include:

• Scenarios in which Harden, now averaging more than 20 points and 10 assists per game in Philadelphia, might be open to a second NBA stint in Houston;
  
  
• Why Houston’s 2023 draft lottery result could make or break the possibility for general manager Rafael Stone;
  
  
• How fans should rank the Harden plan relative to other realistic paths to upgrade the team in 2023 free agency.

Thursday is December 15, and each year, that date is the unofficial kickoff to NBA trade season. Specifically, it’s because that’s when most players who signed new contracts during the previous offseason become trade eligible, and it opens up many more trade possibilities, since each team has a much easier path to meeting salary matching rules.

So, what does that mean for the Houston Rockets and third-year general manager Rafael Stone? It may not mean too much, since they likely won’t want to jeopardize the significant salary cap room they’re currently in line to receive by the 2023 offseason.

Even so, there are some situations that may need resolving, such as recent reports addressing Eric Gordon and KJ Martin. With that in mind, Thursday’s episode explores the likely outcomes and what the path forward should be for Stone and the Rockets.

Thursday’s show also features reaction to Houston’s recent upturn in play and its five-game home winning streak, along with insight on how fans should balance those short-term improvements versus any potential detriment to the team’s 2023 NBA draft lottery odds. Tune in!

With Sunday’s home game versus the Bucks, Houston begins a season-long homestand of seven games. Entering this stretch, the Rockets (7-18) are a respectable 4-5 at home and a woeful 3-13 on the road, punctuated by Thursday’s awful showing at San Antonio.

With that in mind, Sunday’s show explores reasons for that home-road discrepancy and much more. Topics include:

— The potential role of Jalen Green’s staggering home-road shooting splits;

— Whether Kevin Porter Jr.’s inconsistent point guard play, and the lack of a proven backup, is a key factor;

— Recent improvements by rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr.;

— Ongoing evaluations of general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas;

— Playing time decisions for young guards Josh Christopher and TyTy Washington, and whether the NBA G League is an appropriate destination for both players.

At the approximate quarter point of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets (5-16) have the identical record that they did one year ago. While it’s clearly another rebuilding season, is that relative lack of progress alarming? In Friday’s show, Ben and Paulo discuss what to make of the young team’s uneven play so far.

Discussion topics include:

— Areas of potential improvement for head coach Stephen Silas and the rest of Houston’s leadership;

— An evaluation of guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green;

— Whether adding an established backup point guard in a more traditional mold would help;

— Reasons for the recent upturn in performance by rookie Jabari Smith Jr., and why it should be sustainable;

— Potential rotation changes, such as a need for consolidation and a case for starting KJ Martin over Eric Gordon.

Fresh off a much-needed Rockets win in Dallas, Thursday’s episode welcomes starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the show for a review of the 2022-23 season to date.

For the season, Porter is averaging a career-high 19.1 points (41.0% FG, 33.8% on 3-pointers), 6.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals, and he’s potentially sticking around in Houston for several more years after signing a contract extension in October.

Topics discussed include Porter’s assessment of the team’s season to date and his personal performance; the importance of head coach Stephen Silas and lead assistant John Lucas in his development; growth shown by second-year prospects Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Usman Garuba; and much more.

The episode concludes with a look at Porter’s new business venture, Sukuta, which features digital collectibles, interactive behind-the-scenes opportunities for fans, and beyond.

Wednesday’s episode welcomes national NBA writer Mark Schindler to the show for a roundtable discussion with hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves.

Though the Rockets are clearly in a rebuilding movement, the 2-12 start — which, entering Wednesday, is the NBA’s worst record — has clearly underwhelmed many fans.

One prominent reason for those struggles is Houston’s struggling offense, which ranks in the bottom five of the NBA despite featuring numerous scorers and playmakers. With that in mind, the show explores whether head coach Stephen Silas or point guard Kevin Porter Jr. deserves more criticism.

Other discussion topics include growth shown from second-year prospects Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun; a slow start by rookie Jabari Smith Jr.; promising signs by reserves KJ Martin and Tari Eason; whether it still makes sense to keep Eric Gordon; and more.

In the aftermath of another World Series title for the Astros, Tuesday’s show explores what lessons Houston’s basketball franchise should take from its baseball peers, particularly when it comes to team building.

The remainder of the show features storylines from Monday’s win in Orlando. Topics include:

— Jabari Smith Jr.’s early struggles as a rookie, relative to Paolo Banchero;

— What Eric Gordon’s ideal role should be;

— Strategies to find more minutes for Tari Eason;

— When a KJ Martin contract extension could make sense;

— Kevin Porter Jr.’s improvement as a playmaker and what his long-term role looks like;

— Our evaluation of Alperen Sengun (great) and Jalen Green (mixed) in their second seasons, and what Green should do to build off of Monday’s elite performance in Orlando.

Friday’s new episode features reaction from Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves to the first five games of the NBA’s 2022-23 regular season for the Houston Rockets (1-4).

Relative to 2021-22, the young Rockets have improved from No. 30 in the league to No. 20 in net defensive rating (entering Thursday), but they’ve stagnated at an identical No. 26 spot on offense. With that in mind, Friday’s show explores areas of potential improvement for head coach Stephen Silas, point guard Kevin Porter Jr., and shooting guard Jalen Green.

Other topics include the team’s dependence on Eric Gordon and Garrison Mathews as floor-spacing shooters; early impressions of Jabari Smith Jr. playing minutes at center and the impact of a five-out offense on other players; what to do with the rotation when Alperen Sengun (illness) returns; and which second-year guard — Daishen Nix or Josh Christopher — should get Houston’s final rotation spot.

In Friday’s episode, Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves are joined by The Action Network’s Matt Moore (@HPBasketball on Twitter) to explore this week’s prominent Rockets storylines.

With the 2022-23 regular season underway, what does Jalen Green need to do to become an impactful, winning player? On the show, Moore adds context to his controversial podcast remarks from last week while sharing some new insight from watching the Rockets on film.

Other discussion topics on the show include Houston’s surprising decision to start Bruno Fernando over Alperen Sengun at center; the ramifications of Kevin Porter Jr.’s unique contract extension; and a potential blueprint for rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. over his career.

Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman joins Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves to discuss key storylines for the 2022-23 season, along with some lessons learned from the preseason.

Topics include the ongoing process of integrating Alperen Sengun into Houston’s starting lineup, along with promising signs of development shown by young prospects such as Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Tari Eason, and KJ Martin.

Other discussion points involve Ackerman’s career perspective and his new broadcast team at AT&T SportsNet Southwest with Ryan Hollins and Vanessa Richardson, along with insight on the epic start to MLB's 2022 postseason by Yordan Alvarez and the Astros.