No. 2: Trading for Chris Paul
The Los Angeles Clippers certainly did well for themselves in the Chris Paul trade back in June 2017, with the acquisitions of Pat Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, and a future first-round draft pick from the Rockets still paying dividends today. If the Clippers ultimately win a title in this era with those three former Rockets as key role players, it could eventually be argued that they “won” the trade.
Yet, no matter the end result in the months and years ahead, it’s also a deal that the Rockets almost had to make. The 2016-17 season ended with a 39-point home loss in Game 6 of the second round in which Harden and D’Antoni’s Rockets were overwhelmed by a San Antonio Spurs team that didn’t even have Kawhi Leonard. At that time, an offseason of making moves at the margins to add or improve depth wasn’t likely to elevate the Rockets to a contending level. Like most NBA teams of this era, they needed (at least) a second All-Star talent.
After Chris Paul agreed to opt-in on contract, Clippers are trading All-Star guard to the Houston Rockets, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2017
Enter Paul. In his first season in Houston, the future Hall of Famer averaged 18.6 points, 7.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game as the Rockets went 65-17 — by far their best record in franchise history. The season ended in heartbreak, with the Rockets losing in seven games to the star-studded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Houston took a 3-2 lead in the series after five games, but Paul pulled his hamstring late in Game 5 and was unable to return.
Ultimately, though, Paul’s presence was the only reason they were likely a game from the NBA title in the first place.
A little over a year later, Paul’s roster presence (and corresponding salary slot) was an essential part of making the math work for the capped-out Rockets on the July 2019 trade for Westbrook.
Though Paul played just two seasons in Houston, it’s clear the Rockets are in a better position as a franchise than they were in May 2017 prior to his arrival. He was also one of the two lead stars on the most dominant team in franchise history. For those reasons, despite his abbreviated tenure, the Chris Paul trade was near the top of the list for 2010s deals.
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