Harden, Rockets ready to make summer run at Kevin Durant

Whatever unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant chooses to do this summer, thanks to the NBA salary cap spike he could easily have a dozen teams pursuing him. One of those guaranteed to be in the mix is the Houston Rockets, current address of friend and former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate James Harden.

Before the Rockets hosted the Thunder on Sunday, Harden was asked about recruiting efforts.

"In order to put yourself as an elite team, you always got to have talent, right?" Harden told reporters, without directly mentioning Durant, lest he find himself on the wrong side of NBA anti-tampering rules. "You always got to get better and find ways to improve. That's any team."

The Durant sweepstakes could be the NBA story of the summer or they could be completely anticlimactic if he opts to sign a one-year deal with the Thunder, as some expect. Should he leave Oklahoma City however, the Rockets represent an intriguing option. In addition to reuniting with Harden, there's the absence of a state income tax in Texas and the sheen of playing in a top-10 U.S. media market.

Related: Other potential destinations for Kevin Durant

The Rockets are not expected to retain center Dwight Howard, who will almost assuredly opt out of his contract this summer. General manager Daryl Morey has already vaguely suggested as much, and with the spiking cap, Houston will have more than enough money to spend to go with its desire to win.

NBA summer free agent recruiting is an art form in itself, something players like Chandler Parsons have become known for. Veteran Rockets guard Jason Terry prefers the bombardment approach.

"I'm more of an aggressive recruiter," the 38-year-old Terry said, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins. "If I know that we're targeting you, I'm coming right to you. I will get your phone number. I will do whatever it takes."

Harden has two years left on his contract after this season at about $34 million. Wherever he plays, Durant is likely to be paid in the neighborhood of $25 million next season, but can only ink a max five-year deal with the Thunder. It is the salary cap's expected further jump in 2017 however - when max annual salary could hit close to $30 million - that has many believing Durant will only sign a one-year pact this summer.

"I'm trying to win," Harden said. "Whatever it takes for me to put myself in a situation to win, I'm going to do it."