When LeBron James opted out of the final year of his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to become an unrestricted free agent, many saw that as the end of road for the Houston Rockets' pursuit of "The King." Without the necessary cap space to sign LeBron, the Rockets would have been hoping for LeBron to opt in to the final year of his deal in order to facilitate a sign-and-trade similar to what Chris Paul did last season.
However, according to a report from USA Today's Sam Amick, the Rockets have not given up.
Also, from the longest-of-longshots department: I'm told Houston will continue pursuing LeBron James until he makes a final decision. No known meeting, but - cap obstacles be darned - they have not waved the white flag on that front.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 1, 2018
With no meeting and no cap space, it's not really clear how the Rockets expect to have a serious shot at LeBron. While they would offer LeBron a chance to play with James Harden and his good friend Paul, the Rockets have all sorts of hurdles to clear to make this a reality.
Considering their talent and the fact they've been linked to LeBron early in this process, perhaps it's fair to not eliminate them completely. But at this point the Rockets probably shouldn't be considered serious contenders to acquire LeBron.
