The Houston Rockets agreed to trade James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. This trade was a four-team deal and was finalized on Wednesday after the Lakers-Rockets game.
This blockbuster trade included the Rockets, Nets, Indiana Pacers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Harden spent 9 seasons with the Rockets before requesting a trade during the 2020 NBA Offseason. In this time with the Rockets he became the league’s MVP in 2018 and became a 3-time NBA scoring champion.
In the trade deal, the Nets received James Harden and a second-round pick from the Cavaliers.
The Nets would originally send Caris LeVert to the Rockets for Harden. The Rockets would later expand the deal by trading LeVert to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo.
The Rockets would acquire Victor Oladipo from the Pacers, Dante Exum from the Cavaliers, Rodionis Kurucs, four unprotected first-round picks, and four first-round swap picks from the Nets.
Pacers would also receive a second-round pick from the Rockets after trading Oladipo for LeVert. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers organization would receive Taurean Prince and a promising young-center, Jarrett Allen.
With his trade into the Nets, Harden looks to start a new chapter in his career with the Nets in hopes of winning a championship. The Nets roster was now star-studded with the introduction of Harden, joining the ranks of Kyrie Irving and his former teammate, Kevin Durant.
After the trade was finalized, the odds for the Nets winning the championship title this season have increased with the addition of Harden´s skills.
Harden’s playoffs with the Rockets were not stellar. In 2018, Harden and the Rockets would face the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals and lost in Game 7. After the trade for Russell Westbrook in 2019, the Rockets would try to make a run to compete for an NBA Title as Harden and Westbrook were reunited in Houston. The 2020 season would see the Rockets fail to make a run for a championship after losing to the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.
In a post-game interview, Harden stated “We’re just not good enough, uh, you know, obviously, chemistry-wise, talent-wise, everything, and it was clear.”
Harden continues “Like what I said the last few games, this situation is crazy, you know. It’s something that can’t be fixed.”
The offseason brought around the end of Harden’s career with the Rockets and the foreseeable future of the Rockets. Both Harden and Westbrook requested a trade out of Houston. The Rockets would eventually lose their General Manager, Daryl Morey, and their Head Coach, Mike D’Antoni.
The Rockets would later trade Westbrook to the Wizards in exchange for John Wall in a desperate attempt to convince Harden to stay. Houston would continue to try to sweeten the pot by adding more players to help Harden carry the team through the season and playoffs.
During training camp their attempts were seen to be in vain, Harden never showed up or came late to practice. To add insult to injury, he would be seen going to parties and nightclubs instead of practicing with the team.
In his Brooklyn debut, Harden proved that the Nets made the right decision. He went on to get a triple-double with a personal score of 32 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds. The Nets went on to win 122 to 115 against the Magic last Saturday.
Now that Harden joined the Nets, people would expect their offense to be one of the best in the league. The Nets now have three-star players who can not only handle the ball but pass, rebound, and score the team to victory in the upcoming season.
