Scott Long
1/14/21
The rumblings have been going on since the start of the offseason when Russell Westbrook and James Harden both expressed their disdain with how things were going in Houston. However, Houston opted to keep Harden and trade Westbrook for John Wall and see if they could make a different superstar work with Harden. Unfortunately, this experiment did not last long as less than a month into the season, culminating in him saying “We’re just not good enough . . . I just don’t think this can be fixed,” Tuesday night after a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
It didn’t take long for the Rockets to move him after that interview, as the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia reemerged as the favorites to land Harden. By the next day the Rockets agreed to a four-team trade involving the Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. While the Nets acquired Harden, the Rockets acquired: Victor Oladipo, Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, three Brooklyn first round picks, a first-round pick from Milwaukee and four first round swaps with Brooklyn. Also involved in the trade were the Pacers who acquired a second-round pick and Victor Oladipo, and the Cavaliers who acquired Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince.
Harden is obviously the centerpiece of the trade, and gives Brooklyn, on paper, one of the best big threes in the history of the NBA, as he joins Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. This will not be the first time he and Durant have shared the floor together, however things will look a lot different this time, as the last time they were on the same team was when the Oklahoma City Thunder lost in the Finals with Durant and Westbrook as the top dogs on the team, with Harden running the second unit as the sixth man. Durant has proven during his time with the Golden State Warriors that he can handle playing with other stars and sharing the load offensively, as he had to share the court with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who together formed one of the leagues best dynasties, however the same cannot be said about Harden and Irving. Harden has always been the ball dominant player on the Rockets since he left the Thunder and while Irving did win a championship playing second fiddle to LeBron James, he clearly wasn’t happy with that role as he forced his way out of Cleveland immediately after and has caused his fair share of locker room rifts in the years since the trade. For this to work put for Brooklyn, both Irving and Harden are going to have to put their egos aside and do what is best for the team and somehow make this work. If they can do that, this team will be tough to stop because all three are threats to score from anywhere on the floor as they can attack the rim, score from the midrange and have great range and seemingly can hit any shot from behind the three-point line. While the loss of talented young players such as Lavert and Allen will be tough, the Nets have title aspirations, and if this Big Three is able to click, they are clearly on the short list of teams most likely to bring home a title for each of the next few seasons.
As for Houston, they seem poised to still contend, while also stockpiling assets for the future, as Oladipo should fill in admirably for Harden, and while he won’t put up the same scoring numbers, he figures to still be an offensive focal point along with John Wall and Christian Wood, while also adding improved defensive play from the shooting guard position. Also, the additions of Kurucs and Exum adds some nice depth to the team, fortifying their second unit. However, the acquisition of four first round picks and four first round swaps with Brooklyn is the highlight of this trade as it will allow Houston to rebuild and get younger, or possibly use these future assets in a future move to help out elsewhere on the roster. But most of all the key for Houston was to get back as much value as they could for a disgruntled superstar, with whom their relationship was clearly fractured.
While the Nets and Rockets were the two headliners in the trade, Indiana and Cleveland made moves that could have a serious impact on their standing now and in the future. For Indiana, there were rumblings that Oladipo was not happy with his role on the team for the last few months, so shipping him off for a younger player with a similar skillset made a lot of sense for them long term, while also giving them someone who would contribute right away. Adding him to the mix with Damontas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Warren, makes them a dangerous team right now, while also helping them in the long run, due to their standing as a small market team. As for Cleveland, their role in the trade seems to be flying under the radar due to the other names in the deal and the fact that they have a log jam of big men on their roster. Allen adds to a group that includes Andre Drummond, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and JaVale McGee. While Allen does add to a position of strength, they did not have to give up a ton to get him, and he’s younger and cheaper than most of the other options, leading to the possibility of more trades for the Cavaliers. Drummond and Love represent potential trade pieces for the Cavaliers due to their higher salaries, and ability to help out teams looking to win now, rather then on a rebuilding roster.
This blockbuster trade will have a huge impact on the NBA this season as well as in the future. Not only will it effect the teams involved but it could have a significant impact on the playoff race as a whole. Only time will tell if the trio of Harden, Durant and Irving will work, but if they find a way to manage the egos, this has the potential to be one of the greatest super teams in the history of the NBA.