NBA Trade Grades: Miami Heat get Victor Oladipo from the Rockets
By Duncan Smith
![Mar 16, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (7) is fouled as he drives around Atlanta Hawks guard Tony Snell (19) during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Wyke/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports Mar 16, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (7) is fouled as he drives around Atlanta Hawks guard Tony Snell (19) during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Wyke/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/281757dcd27c3d24282fdf00575f2bf0c5e0f49a7de284a81df83af282450ba3.jpg)
NBA trade grades for the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are a different story. They managed to turn one of the greatest players of this generation in James Harden into the following: Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley. Of course, they got plenty of likely late first-round picks as well, but it’s hard to see how this is anything but a loss for them.
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Especially when we consider that the Rockets could have just kept Caris LeVert, probably the second-best player in the whole four-team Harden deal, instead of taking on Oladipo. It’s not savvy business from the Rockets or their first-year general manager Raphael Stone.
In this particular transaction, the Rockets save about $2.7 million this season. That may not seem like much in the NBA, but for owner Tilman Fertitta, that’s an amount that can keep the lights on for a year in a Bubba Gump’s Shrimp.
As for next season, Olynyk’s $12.2 million salary is the final year of an expiring contract and Avery Bradley has a $5.9 million player option. We shall see how the Rockets choose to proceed in the offseason with both of them.
There wasn’t much value to be gained in an Oladipo trade, but as yet another component of the Harden trade, it just shines an ever-brighter light on this ugly chapter of Rockets basketball.
Grade: C-
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