James Harden is finally off to somewhere else as the Rockets, Nets, Pacers, and Cavaliers completed a blockbuster four-team trade that sent shockwaves across the NBA few hours ago.
The Nets get their third superstar in James Harden, while the Rockets get Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, and a total of eight draft pick selections.
Meanwhile, the Pacers received Caris LeVert and a second-round pick, while the Cavaliers have added to their young core with the entries of Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen.
This trade was already months in the making especially for the Rockets and James Harden. The 2018 MVP came into this 2020/21 season disgruntled, which already created an uneasy environment for newly-promoted head coach Stephen Silas.
Now that it’s all done and dusted, here at SBOTOP, let us take a look on who were the winners and losers of this megadeal.
Winner: Sixers
Even if they’re not officially part of this deal, the Sixers should be given kudos for staying pat in this process.
The Rockets initially preferred trading with the Sixers as the latter had mouthwatering assets that they would’ve gotten.
Reports indicate that Houston wanted to get Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, and a couple of draft picks to make this trade happen. However, it was too steep for Daryl Morey and co.
It can be noted that Daryl Morey was the one who brought James Harden to the Rockets before. But by pulling out, he has made it clear that they will build their franchise through Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Winner: Pacers
Another surprise winner in this megadeal are the Indiana Pacers.
With Victor Oladipo approaching free agency next summer due to his expiring contract, the Pacers were in a quandary on how to deal with his situation.
Oladipo came off from a major injury last season, but he has slowly regained his form over the first few games of the 2020/21 season.
If the sweet-shooting guard played like an All-Star this term, Oladipo would surely command a hefty price next summer to which the Pacers would be hesitant to match.
Now with Caris LeVert, it gives Indiana the much-needed flexibility due to his team friendly contract. He can add on to the budding nucleus of Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis.
If all of the Pacers remain healthy throughout this season, they should be considered as a viable playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
Loser: Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have shown big improvements under JB Bickerstaff. However, their roster looks quite imbalanced after this trade.
Cleveland now have a plethora of bigs in Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., and Jarrett Allen.
On the forward position, they already have Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, Damyean Dotson, and Taurean Prince.
Even with a strong start, the Cavaliers should probably add another lottery pick into the mix to continue their rebuilding efforts.
At the same time, they should eventually determine on how to deal with their current roster given that Drummond, McGee, and Allen are all restricted free agents next summer.
Winner: Rockets
By getting rid of their disgruntled player, the Rockets can now fully focus on their objectives for the 2020/21 season.
Houston may have entered a rebuilding of sorts, but they have gathered some useful assets that can fast-track their process.
Along with the additions of Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, and Rodions Kurucs, they’ve brought in Brooklyn’s three first-rounders (2022, 2024, 2026), a first-rounder from Milwaukee (unprotected 2022), and four Brooklyn first-round swaps (2021, 2023, 2025, 2027).
That’s quite a haul.
It’s a shame that James Harden didn’t give this Rockets team a chance since they have a decent roster on paper.
They’ve traded for John Wall and brought in DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Wood during the offseason – all of which that are good foundational pieces for the next few seasons.
Loser: Nets
On paper, the Nets look ridiculous with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and now James Harden. But their off-court problems might overshadow their greatness on the floor.
Kyrie Irving has been MIA for the Nets due to “personal reasons” and there’s no telling how Kevin Durant and James Harden will mesh at least for now.
At the same time, Brooklyn have parted ways with a lot of their draft pick selections as they try to win it all this year.
Whether they’ll be able to fulfill their main objective remains to be seen. But from the outside looking in, this looks to be a huge gamble just like the deal that they did with the Celtics back in 2014.
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