James Harden traded to Houston Rockets

Realize also that if Harden had rejected OKC’s offer and the Thunder didn’t trade him, he’d be a restricted free agent in July 2013. Numerous teams would, at that point, extend four-year, $60 million extensions. OKC could have matched those offers or agreed to sign-and-trade deals. But regardless, the only way in which Harden was going to take less money was to re-sign now with the Thunder for a discount. He knows he could get an extra $6 million by waiting one year.

By getting traded, he did even better. He basically won the right to spend one additional season under contract for $24 million. That’s Kobe money. (OK, it’s not quite Kobe money.) The dollars will smooth out over the contract, so he won’t actually be making $24 million in 2017-18, but that’s what the difference between taking the discount in OKC and signing a five-year max in Houston represents. $24 million.

This isn’t New York, where you can raise ticket prices (already among the highest in the league) 50 percent after making the playoffs for the first time in a decade (and getting swept right out). This isn’t Los Angeles, where you can have the highest payroll in the league and still cover it with only your local TV deal and still have scratch left over. This is Oklahoma City, the smallest market in the NBA. You’ve got to be sane when it comes to payroll. Giving Harden a max deal to go with the max deals inked by Durant and Russ and the eight-figure deal Ibaka just signed won’t work unless Bennett is ready to bleed hard for years.

He’s not, which is probably for the best. Keeping Harden and Ibaka just wasn’t sustainable. Presti had already signed Ibaka, and at a discount. Harden wasn’t taking a discount. This had to be done.

The Rockets’ roster is now at 20, meaning five players need to be cut by 5 p.m. on Monday. Houston was in for a long season already, but the arrival of Harden to go with Lin and Asik will certainly make Houston an entertaining bunch this year.

Martin, like Harden, had just one year remaining on his contract, but heads to Oklahoma City as an eight-year NBA veteran who has proven capable of producing off the bench. The guard and small forward averaged 17.1 points and 2.8 assists last season before missing the final 26 games with a shoulder injury.

With the Rockets completely rebuilding the roster in the offseason, Martin had been one of the few to survive the changes on the team. Now he’ll be expected to fill the vacated role that Harden occupied as the sixth man on a deep Thunder roster.

Of course, it might make sense to keep Martin or acquire another shooting guard if Lamb is slow to develop. But in keeping Harden, the Thunder were going to have to cut other salary (like Perkins) or pay penalties. This trade (which includes three picks to help keep the periphery cheap) saves that drama.

It’s not a terrible haul for the Thunder, given the fact that they had little leverage. Daryl Morey and every other general manager considering a deal for Harden was well aware that Oklahoma City was unlikely to give Harden a max deal and pay the luxury tax that would go along with it. Sam Presti is going to catch plenty of criticism, however, since that’s always the case when a general manager makes a big trade and doesn’t acquire the best player involved in the deal.