INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 05: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)After months of rumors regarding James Harden’s future, the former MVP has finally been shipped out of Houston. He’ll be reuniting with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to report the news of Harden’s move to the Nets. It’s a blockbuster trade that involves four different teams. That’s right, four teams were involved in this massive deal.
As stated before, the Nets are acquiring Harden in this trade. He’s the only piece going to Brooklyn, which makes sense considering his production and salary. So, how does the rest of the deal shape out?
The Rockets will get Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, a trio of first-round picks from the Nets, a first-round pick that was previously owned by the Bucks, and four first-round pick swaps from Brooklyn.
For those wondering how the Rockets were able to land Oladipo, they simply flipped Caris Levert to the Pacers for the All-Star guard.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the final team involved in this deal. They’re receiving Jarrett Allen in Taurean Prince in return for getting rid of a late first-round pick. It’s a savvy move for the franchise when you consider how well Allen has developed over the last year.
Sources: Full current trade:
Rockets: Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, 3 BKN first-rounders (22, 24, 26), 1 MIL first (22, unprotected), 4 BKN 1st round swaps (21, 23, 25, 27)
Nets: James Harden
Pacers: Caris LeVert, 2nd-rounder
Cavs: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 13, 2021
This is a bold move on Brooklyn’s part, but the ultimate goal here is to win an NBA championship. A trio of Durant, Harden and Irving should be more than enough to make a Finals run.
Even if this ends up blowing up in the Nets’ face, they are without a doubt the most intriguing team in the league right now.
