There have been few players in league history draw as much attention for their views off the court as their capabilities on the court. So, when reports surfaced about the Houston Rockets having interest in signing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, the reaction was all but expected.

A complex individual painted as villainous over the past few seasons due to abrasive interactions with the media, separating the art with artist becomes a practice that's necessary when assessing what Irving can bring to the table. A practice that Houston has already shown themselves capable of, hiring Rockets head coach Ime Udoka following a scandal that resulted in the Boston Celtics relieving him of his duties just months after he led them to the 2022 NBA Finals.

With that in mind, there are multiple reasons that the Rockets should pursue Irving as a free agent this offseason.

Why Rockets must pursue Kyrie Irving in 2023 NBA free agency

Hall of Fame addition

Speaking to reporters about the possibility of adding 10-time All-Star James Harden as a free agent this offseason, Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. acknowledged that the franchise would want to add a Hall of Fame talent.

Though Kyrie Irving hasn't had quite as much success as Harden, his resume speaks for itself.

Irving won Rookie of the Year in 2010 and went on to become an NBA champion in 2016 while making an indelible impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers. An eight-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection despite being one of the most unpopular players among media voters, Irving is notably 15th in career points (15,712); 10th in career points per game (23.4); and 19th in career assists (3,834) among active NBA players while being one of the premier ball-handlers, iso scorers, shooters and clutch performers in the league.

Furthermore, while Harden has had more individual success as the franchise focal point, he never made it any farther and Irving did in the same position, the Conference Finals.

Whatever personal feelings a person may have about Kyrie, there's no doubt that the Ankletaker is in the prime of his career and has a Hall of Fame resume.

He raises the ceiling

To that previous point, the Houston Rockets signing Kyrie Irving this offseason would raise the ceiling, as they would add an incredibly impressive playmaker to their roster.

Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game last season on 49-38-91 shooting splits. Since winning the championship in 2016, Kyrie has averaged 25.7 points, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game on 49-40-90 shooting splits.

For a team that ranked 28th in points per game (110.7), 27th in offensive rating (111.4), and 28th in field goal percentage (45.7) last season, adding Irving to the roster would be a major boost. Especially when considering the inefficient scoring of face of the franchise Jalen Green, who averaged 22.1 points per game last season on 42-34-79, or that starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. has yet to average at least 20 points per game.

Essentially, whether the Rockets started both Green and Porter alongside Irving or just one of them, their offense would be more lethal regardless.

If Houston was to keep their fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and acquire a forward like Villanova standout Cam Whitmore in the process, their ceiling raises itself even higher. Whitmore, who excelled against FIBA competition for Team USA last offseason, arguably has the most two-way upside of players projected to be selected in the top-10.

Jalen Green

Speaking of Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the addition of Kyrie Irving would provide the Houston Rockets with a player that Green has went on record as saying he wants to learn from. These weren't comments made prior to the 2021 NBA Draft, or even after his rookie season.

Green made those comments last month, telling Paul George and his podcast co-hosts that he not only wants to learn from Irving, but that the two already communicate with each other via text.

Given the way that Irving — a renowned master at his craft — could help improve Green's shot selection and ball-handling repertoire, pushback against the pair teaming is unlikely to be steeped in what the two could do on the court.

Especially when considering that as a score-first player, Irving is unlikely to dramatically alter the roles of Green or Kevin Porter Jr. as it relates to their playmaking. In fact, between Irving, Green and Porter, the Rockets would have three players that are more than capable of initiating an offense or running the pick-and-roll.