Nets-Rockets Trade: Who Came Out Ahead In Blockbuster Deal For James Harden?

James Harden finally got his wish and was sent to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster four-team trade. The Nets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers were all involved in a deal that will affect the franchises involved for years to come.

Seven players, five draft picks and four first-round pick swaps changed hands in the deal. Brooklyn hopes it has formed its version of a super-team, while Houston believes it might have set itself up to successfully rebuild a broken roster.

Who made out the best in the trade? Here’s a ranking of how all four teams involved did.

1) Brooklyn Nets

The team that lands the best player in any deal is usually the biggest winner. Whether you think it’s Victor Oladipo or Caris Levert, the second-best player in this transaction isn’t in the same stratosphere as Harden.

Harden is undoubtedly one of the NBA’s best players. He was the 2018 NBA MVP and has been a top-three MVP candidate in five of the last six seasons. Harden has won three straight scoring titles. Brooklyn improved its chances of winning the championship and is now the betting favorite in the Eastern Conference.

How will Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gel together? That’s a different question. The Nets could fail to reach the NBA Finals before one or two of the stars head elsewhere in free agency, which would leave the future of the franchise in peril.

It’ll all be worth it if Brooklyn wins a title. The Nets have a very real chance of doing so in the near future by pairing Harden with the league’s second-best player.

2) Indiana Pacers

Indiana played the most surprising role in the Harden trade, swapping Oladipo for Levert. Oladpio might currently be the better player, but the Pacers made a shrewd move by getting involved in the way that they did.

Levert is signed to a relatively team-friendly contract. The 26-year-old is owed $17.5 million next year and $18.8 million for the 2022-2023 season, according to Spotrac. Oladipo is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. There’s a good chance that his asking price would’ve been more than what Indiana is willing to pay, given that they already have several players signed to lucrative deals.

Oladipo was an All-NBA Third-Team selection in 2018. He hasn’t been the same player since suffering a devastating leg injury two years ago. Levert is two years younger and has almost matched Oladipo’s scoring production this season.

The trade will help Indiana to be among the best teams in the East for this year and beyond.

3) Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland essentially traded Dante Exum and the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2022 first-round pick in exchange for Jarrett Allen. That’s a relatively small price to pay for a 22-year-old that could be a starting center for years to come.

Stuck sharing minutes with DeAndre Jordan, Allen couldn’t reach his full potential in Brooklyn. Starting in less than half of the Nets’ 12 games, Allen still managed to put up big numbers with 15.1 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He will improve a Cleveland defense that has been surprisingly good this season.

Exum is easily replaceable. Often injured, the guard has never averaged more than 8.1 points per game. Considering Milwaukee’s run of regular-season dominance, the team’s 2022 draft pick will likely be in the bottom of the first round, barring a significant injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The trade won’t alter the trajectory of the franchise, but it was a no-brainer for Cleveland.

4) Houston Rockets

Ultimately, Houston did not get what it was initially looking for in a Harden trade. The Rockets couldn’t have made out better in terms of draft picks, but they didn’t acquire a potential franchise player. Oladipo might not even be an All-Star caliber player, and he could leave Houston as a free agent in just a few months.

Compare this trade to recent blockbuster deals involving other superstars. In addition to a wealth of draft picks, the New Orleans Pelicans received budding star Brandon Ingram in the Anthony Davis trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder left the Paul George trade with Shea Gilgeous-Alexander. Harden is certainly better than George, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s ceiling and contract make him a much more valuable asset than Oladipo.

It was thought the Rockets might come away with Ben Simmons or Michael Porter Jr. in a Harden trade. Now, Houston has to hope the Nets go in the tank within the next few years in order to have a chance of getting a future star through the draft in exchange for Harden.

Worst of all, the Rockets are going to finish near the bottom of the standings this season while another team owns the rights to their 2021 draft pick.