Former Nets Top Pick Headlines NBA Trade Involving Rebuilding Rockets, Thunder

Derrick Favors #15 of the Oklahoma City Thunder Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

The Rockets and Thunder engage in eight-player trade as their rebuilding efforts continue
Derrick Favors could end up getting bought out in order to join his preferred NBA team
The Rockets may not keep most of the acquired players who may not fit into their own rebuilding plans

Most NBA teams are now preparing for the 2022-23 NBA season, and trades are to be expected.

The Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder have further agendas on their mind, and this appears to be the reason behind the eight-man trade that was recently pulled off.

The Rockets will be getting Derrick Favors, a former top pick in 2010, as well as Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon and Maurice Harkless from the Thunder.

In return, Oklahoma sent David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Moreover, the Thunder will receive a 2025 second-round pick from Houston.

The move appears to be more of a financial-related one for the Thunder.

By moving the aforementioned players, they will save them $1 million in salary and drop them to about $10 million under the luxury tax threshold.

For the Rockets, they get another future pick for taking in an additional $1 million in salary.

There are notable names included in the latest NBA trade. But one that stands out is Favors.

He was originally the third overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets and owns a one-year deal worth over $10 million.

It remains to be seen if Houston will keep him on the roster and figure out if he can be of use in the regular rotation of head coach Stephen Silas.

If not, trading the 6-foot-9 player to a contending team is another possibility.

A buyout can also be considered, something that would allow Favors to sign with another NBA team freely.

Favors has been around, playing for other teams such as the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans.

He owns career averages of 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 790 games.

Harkless is another player who could either stay or go. The journeyman forward started his career with the Orlando Magic before making stops to the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings.

In addition, Harkless norms career averages of 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 621 games.