The tables have turned since the Houston Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone were mocked by many in early 2021 for what they viewed at the time as an underwhelming trade return for James Harden.
Today, barely more than a calendar year later, the relationship and fit between the superstar guard and his new team, the Nets, has soured to the point that Brooklyn is now reportedly open to trading Harden to Philadelphia by the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
Since Harden can become a free agent this offseason, there’s incentive for the Nets to explore opportunities to extract some value — such as a trade package headlined by disgruntled 76ers star Ben Simmons — rather than risk losing him for no compensation in free agency.
The implications to the Rockets are clear. Since Houston chose a trade package for Harden that effectively allows them to control Brooklyn’s first-round draft assets through 2027, any transaction that materially changes the talent on the Nets’ roster is relevant to the Rockets.
With Kyrie Irving unavailable for home games due to New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Harden is one of only two regularly available All-Star and former MVP centerpieces to Brooklyn, along with Kevin Durant. Should the Nets lose half of their leading duo, that would seem to worsen their outlook for the foreseeable future, which could boost the value of those Nets draft assets heading to Houston.
That’s quite a turn of events relative to a year ago, when many around the NBA assumed that those first-round picks would be low in the order — due in large part to the steady and durable presence of Harden leading the roster. At the time, fans of the Rockets listened to all sorts of barbs about the trade from fans and media members of other teams.
Now, however? The tide seems to be turning, and fans of the Rockets are clearly having some fun with it. Here’s some of the best replies.
