NBA trade grades: Grading the four-team James Harden blockbuster trade
By Duncan Smith
Trade grades for the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets opted to go down a risky path once again, trading seven years worth of draft control to the Houston Rockets in exchange for one of the best players in the NBA. They sent their first-round picks in 2022, 2024 and 2026 to the Rockets as well as pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027.
It’s a drastic haul that vaults the Rockets into the realm of the war-chest teams, like the New Orleans Pelicans and the OKC Thunder.
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This is a trade that launches the Nets into the heights of the NBA’s elites and makes them a legitimate championship contender alongside the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Adding James Harden to their superstar core of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving just makes them that much more dangerous and are virtually unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, that may be another issue, but Harden is a better defender than he’s given credit for and they won’t miss much on that end with LeVert’s departure.
Considering that the Brooklyn Nets want a championship and nothing else matters, they did what needed to be done.