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James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets (Picture by Steven Ryan/Getty Pictures)
The James Harden trade had a profound impact not solely on the Houston Rockets however the complete NBA. When a participant as nice as Harden modifications groups it utterly alters the league’s energy dynamics.
The Brooklyn Nets went from championship contender to championship favorites and the Houston Rockets went from a playoff staff to the worst staff in the complete NBA. Nevertheless, it wasn’t simply these two franchises that had their fates altered, each staff that engaged the Rockets in commerce talks missed an opportunity to vary their championship outlook.
Rumors ran rampant over who was providing what, who was untouchable, and what it might take to land Harden, however probably the most concrete commerce that by no means was, was a commerce with the Philadelphia 76ers centered round Ben Simmons. How totally different would the playoffs have gone if Joel Embiid had partnered with James Harden? And would the Rockets have made a playoff push with Ben Simmons on the helm?
Why the Houston Rockets accepted the Brooklyn Nets supply
Whereas the Simmons for Harden commerce by no means materialized, the deal made with the Brooklyn Nets additionally contained a couple of what-ifs. On the finish of the day, the Nets traded Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks, and 4 choose swaps to land James Harden.
The Rockets may have merely taken this immense return and tried to make a playoff push. As a substitute, they opted to reroute a part of their return from the Nets for property they coveted extra.
Caris LeVert and a 2nd spherical choose have been despatched to the Indiana Pacers for Victor Oladipo and Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince went to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Dante Exum and the Milwaukee Bucks 2022 first-round choose. It must be remembered, neither of those trades needed to occur for the James Harden deal to undergo.
Now that each taking part social gathering has seen their season finish, the primary actual critiques of the Harden commerce may be made. The Nets seemed like world-beaters till ill-timed accidents, the Pacers fell aside because of chemistry and training issues, the Cavaliers have been their typical dumpster fireplace, and the Rockets made the Cavaliers’ dumpster fireplace appear like a sublime candle.
The total assessment of the James Harden commerce will take years to be written, however the trades not made will at all times be part of the story. Trades don’t occur in a vacuum, and the trades not taken inevitably inform us lots about who actually got here out forward. Listed below are the Rockets’ grades for the James Harden trades they determined to not make, beginning with the Pacers and ending with Sixers.
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