Late Saturday night, the Houston Rockets acquired reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a package highlighted by Kevin Martin and 2012 lottery pick Jeremy Lamb. The Rockets also sent two first-round picks and a second-round pick to Oklahoma City in Saturday night's deal, in exchange for center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward.
James Harden trade: Rockets fans scoring this deal a win for Houston
The folks over at SB Nation’s Rockets blog, The Dream Shake, are counting this deal a win for Houston and general manager Daryl Morey:
The Rockets scored big in this deal for three reasons. First, they got their franchise player. Better yet, he’s young. Second, the Rockets got their wing depth even though they shipped out Martin and Lamb. Daequan Cook is no slouch coming off the bench and we’re the same age (What am I doing with my life?). Third, and maybe most importantly, we have our back up center in Cole Aldrich.
The addition of Harden completes an eventful offseason for Houston, highlighted by the signing of Jeremy Lin away from the New York Knicks after his breakout campaign, and former Chicago Bulls center Omer Asik. A backcourt of Lin and Harden already has the gang at The Dream Shake excited. Adding veteran depth in the deal is just a bonus, and will give rookies Terrence Jones and Royce White time to develop.
The Rockets’ roster is now at 20, meaning five players need to be cut by 5 p.m. on Monday.
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