As you may have heard, the Rockets, Nets, Pacers and Cavaliers agreed to a four-team blockbuster deal. James Harden goes to Brooklyn. Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, and a ton of draft choices are going to Houston. Caris LeVert and a second round choice goes to Indiana. Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince go to Cleveland.
The Nets and 76ers were the two teams fighting for Harden’s services at the end of the race, but Philly felt that the Rockets were using them as leverage to extract maximum assets from the Nets, Harden’s favorite destination, said a league source. to HoopsHype.
According to one executive, Philadelphia missed the chance to improve its options as a competitor by failing to get Harden.
“I think Philly missed an opportunity and is now stuck in the middle of the East,” an Eastern Conference executive told HoopsHype. “They are not as good as Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Boston and, in the end, Miami. They may just be seed # 5 at the end of the season. Ben Simmons hasn’t improved in any area of his game since joining the league. He is the same player today and in his debut year, and the teams discovered him in the playoffs. That’s why they won’t go far. “
HoopsHype talked to several executives about their reactions to the trade and what it means for all four teams involved in the future.
“I like the deal for Pacers and Houston,” another Eastern Conference executive told HoopsHype. “Brooklyn gave up on rescuing a king. I don’t know why Cleveland accepted Taurean Prince as well as giving up an unprotected choice exchange. Harden is the best player in the business, but Brooklyn is all in and they have no protection in the future. Cleveland will try to dump Andre Drummondand Jarrett Allen has a bright future in the league. “
Below is an analysis of what the trade means for each team involved.
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn put all his chips in the center of the table to acquire Harden and form a superstar trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“They’d better win in the next two years,” a rival executive from the Eastern Conference told HoopsHype. “It will be interesting to see how all these players and personalities get along.”
Durant, Irving and Harden each have a player option for the 2022-23 season.
Irving is absent from the team for personal reasons, but was seen in several videos without a mask at a birthday party for his sister, which the league is investigating.
Harden rubbed his ex-Rockets teammates John Wall and Cousins DeMarcus the wrong way.
From a chemistry standpoint, Brooklyn now has three superstar players who demand possession of the ball at an elite pace and need to sacrifice themselves to make the trio work on the court. Harden ranks eighth in the NBA usage rate (30.69), Durant ranks 12th (30.16) and Irving is 16th (29.29).
Harden meets with his former Thunder teammates, Durant and Jeff Green, and his former Rockets coach, Mike D’Antoni, in Brooklyn.
LeVert was the first draft chosen from the Sean Marks era in Brooklyn after the negotiation Thaddeus Young to acquire the Indiana selection in 2016. It is also important to note that LeVert and Irving share the same agency, Roc Nation, for representation. Without Allen, look for the Nets to play DeAndre Jordan and green in the center.
Houston rockets
Houston moved a disgruntled star that was causing obvious tension in the locker room, stocked a boatload of picks for the future to use or turn over in future negotiations and added Oladipo, an All-Star twice.
Oladipo will be one of the best unrestricted free agents on the market after the season, as noted in our HoopsHype 2021 ranking.
“I’m not sure what happens there,” an Eastern Conference executive told HoopsHype. “They may just want to get rid of the money, so they took advantage of the losing Oladipo to have financial flexibility next year. Or they can try to hire you again and see you as a partner for Wall. “
Several executives believe that the Rockets will eventually negotiate PJ Tucker until the negotiation deadline.
“I think Houston can transfer PJ into a separate business later,” an executive told HoopsHype. “It will have value in the East, especially in the fight against Giannis and Durant. I can see Miami going after PJ and maybe even Boston. “
As noted in mid-December at HoopsHype, several teams expressed an interest in negotiating for Tucker, and if he stays with Houston during the season, he is open to signing again with the Rockets in the off-season.
Indiana Pacers
Rumors circulated that Oladipo wanted to leave Indiana for a while, which he denied. According to a Pacers teammate, there was no tension in the locker room with Oladipo, despite rumors about his future.
“He came to camp with a renewed mentality and was committed to the team, zero tension,” a Pacers player told HoopsHype on condition of anonymity, as the exchange is not yet official. “I think the trade surprised us all, but it is part of the business. We all loved Vic in the locker room. “
In the end, however, the Pacers moved their main guard before potentially losing him for nothing in the off season.
LeVert has a chance to share the defense court with Malcolm Brogdon as a full-time starter and owes $ 17.5 million next season and $ 18.8 million in 2022-23. Brogdon’s kicking ability, combined with LeVert’s ability to cut and create the dribble, should fit well.
“Great choice,” the Pacers player told HoopsHype. “I’ve been a fan of his game for some time now. He has a lot of dogs inside him and will fit into our young nucleus. “
Cleveland Cavaliers
Several East Conference executives believe Drummond’s future in Cleveland is written on the wall after the team gave up a choice in the first round to acquire Allen, who is five years younger. Drummond will become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
“Drummond is definitely out of Cleveland,” predicted an East Conference executive. “Cleveland wouldn’t give up anything if he didn’t want Allen in the long run.”
Allen will be one of the best restricted free agents on the market this off-season, after Cleveland extended a $ 5.66 million qualifying offer to him. Prince owes $ 13 million next season.
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You can follow Michael Scotto on Twitter: @MikeAScotto