HARDEN TRADED TO NETS; ROCKETS WERE READY TO MOVE FORWARD
James Harden is headed to Brooklyn where he’ll team with former teammate Kevin Durant and fellow superstar Kyrie Irving (though Irving is dealing with issues of his own). It’s part of a four-team trade that also involves Cleveland and Indiana.
In all, the Rockets receive the Nets 2022, ’24 and ’26 First Round Picks and pick swaps in ’21, ’23, ’25 and ’27 as well as the Cavaliers 2022 First Round Pick, via the Bucks. Houston also gets players Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum and Rodions Kurucs.
In addition to Harden, the Nets receive a ’22 Second Round Pick from Cleveland.
The Cavaliers end up with Jarret Allen and San Antonio native, former Warren High School star Taurean Prince.
The Pacers land Caris LeVert.
For the Rockets, it marks the end of not only a drama-filled last 24 hours but what they describe as a bad environment since training camp.
Here are comments from the team just before the trade was completed.