Jul 30, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Team USA guard Kevin Durant (right) dribbles the ball against guard James Harden (left) during a team practice session at Mendenhall Center.
Jul 30, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Team USA guard Kevin Durant (right) dribbles the ball against guard James Harden (left) during a team practice session at Mendenhall Center. Reuters

The Houston Rockets had been the off season's biggest loser in terms of putting out the best effort and coming back empty. Well, not entirely as they got back Trevor Ariza after all the moves but after losing out on the marquee free agents such as Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, they are back to finding that third superstar to flank their James Harden and Dwight Howard duo, and the hunt starts now.

Marc Stein of ESPN reports that the Rockets are planning to utilise their superstar shooting guard James Harden to recruit the biggest free agent of 2016 - Kevin Durant. The Rockets are banking on the history with the former teammates as well as the appeal of playing alongside two superstars and the exemption from luxury tax in Texas.

"We are always going to be swinging big," GM Daryl Morey commented on his recent moves to acquire a third superstar. "We're only about trying to win championships and how to make that happen. We take big swings at things. Obviously, it worked out the last two summers, but the only way you can land a James Harden or a Dwight Howard is by taking big swings."

By swinging big, he actually means rolling out the dice to 2016 even if it is still two years away. The 2015 free agent class will also feature some interesting names such as Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic, but with Patrick Beverly on the team, it would be interesting if the Rockets will actually take a pass next year and target the next year, when Durant becomes available.

The Rockets took a big risk in trying to lure in a third star in the offseason and in the process lost three key cogs in the team, namely, Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin and the biggest and with the most upside of the bunch, Chandler Parsons. Morey was adamant that played a wait-and-see game and bet big but lost out but that does not mean they will take things lying down.

It is very much plausible and logical that the Rockets target Durant yet the problem is that Howard is already nearing the other side of the 30s.Harden may be just in the up and up but the real lure to Durant is an established force down low, the type of force he has not played with all throughout his career. Nevertheless, there are a lot of Durant suitors this early with Washington, Toronto and, of course, Oklahoma City hoping to get or retain his services. With 2016 still a full two years away, suffice it to say that this plan can still change and a lot can happen between now and then.