The Houston Rockets send James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a box office hit that will bring Victor Oladipo to the Rockets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Caris LeVert is on his way to the Indiana Pacers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are also involved in this big trade, with Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince on their way from Brooklyn. Dante Exum and Rodions Kurucs also go to the Rockets, along with a bunch of first rounds and swaps.
Here is the full blockbuster deal highlighted by James Harden and Victor Oladipo:
Sources: Full current trade:
Rockets: Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, 3 BKN first round (22, 24, 26), 1 MIL first (22, unprotected), 4 BKN first round exchange (21, 23, 25, 27)
Nette: James Harden
Pacers: Caris LeVert, 2nd round
Starring: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) 13 January 2021
Over the past few days, Harden’s trade talks have flared up, and everything came to a head when the superstar shooter effectively announced his trade request on Tuesday night after an ugly loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly the two finalists for Harden’s services, with the Rockets allegedly pushing for Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey as the main lines in a possible deal involving Philly.
But that did not happen, so Harden went to Brooklyn, where he allegedly always wanted to go. The real shock is that the Pacers get involved by sending Victor Oladipo to the Rockets for Caris LeVert, who was initially the stud to Houston.
There have been trade rumors surrounding Oladipo for some time over the past year, but he has tried to end all the talk in the season. While he looked more on his own this season after struggling with a devastating knee injury in 2019-20, his 2021 free agency clearly weighed Indiana’s attention in these trade talks. Instead of possibly losing the observatory for nothing in the off-season, the Pacers got a younger player in LeVert who is under contract for another two seasons, at about $ 18 million a year.
A big question is whether the Rockets are planning to keep Victor Oladipo and try to sign him for the off-season, or if they are trying to turn him around. Houston is 3-6 to start the season, but the team may want to see him play alongside John Wall, Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins.
