One night after his brutal postgame remarks, the Rockets are granting James Harden’s original wish of a trade to the Nets to join forces with close friend and former teammate Kevin Durant.
In a four-team trade involving the Nets, Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers, the biggest motivation for the Rockets is the four future first-round draft picks and four pick-swap rights that they are receiving.
To absorb Harden’s $41.3-million contract, the Nets had to send out significant salaries to make the deal permissible under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
However, the Rockets are not actually taking in any of those three players.
Houston is redirecting Allen and Prince to Cleveland for Milwaukee’s draft pick and defensive minded guard Dante Exum, presumably as salary filler at $9.6 million on an expiring contract.
The Rockets are also moving Levert to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, a two-time All-Star in 2018 and 2019.
The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 33.3 minutes per game this season.
But he’s set to become a free agent this summer — which likely played a role in Indiana’s willingness to move him
Rockets trade James Harden to Brooklyn in deal landing Victor Oladipo, draft assets
One night after his brutal postgame remarks, the Rockets are granting James Harden’s original wish of a trade to the Nets to join forces with close friend and former teammate Kevin Durant.
In a four-team trade involving the Nets, Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers, the biggest motivation for the Rockets is the four future first-round draft picks and four pick-swap rights that they are receiving.
To absorb Harden’s $41.3-million contract, the Nets had to send out significant salaries to make the deal permissible under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
However, the Rockets are not actually taking in any of those three players.
Houston is redirecting Allen and Prince to Cleveland for Milwaukee’s draft pick and defensive minded guard Dante Exum, presumably as salary filler at $9.6 million on an expiring contract.
The Rockets are also moving Levert to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, a two-time All-Star in 2018 and 2019.
The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 33.3 minutes per game this season.
But he’s set to become a free agent this summer — which likely played a role in Indiana’s willingness to move him