VETERAN guard James Harden got his wish to be traded out of Houston Rockets. He landed to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team, multi-player trade on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines).
Apart from the Rockets and the Nets, also involved in the blockbuster trade deal centered on Harden were the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the approved deal, the Rockets sent Harden to the Nets in exchange for Brooklyn’s Rodions Kurucs, Pacers’ Victor Oladipo and Cavaliers’ Dante Exum.
Aside from the three players, the Rockets also got a haul of draft picks as they acquired three protected first round picks from the Nets for 2022, 2024 and 2026.
Houston also got a hand on one unprotected 2022 first round pick, originally from Milwaukee Bucks and four unprotected first round picks from Nets for 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.
In getting Harden, the Nets also parted ways with Caris LeVert, whom they sent to the Pacers, as well as Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, who are now with the Cavaliers.
Despite losing LeVert, Prince and Allen in the trade entering the match, the Nets still recorded their second straight win after toppling the New York Knicks, 116-109, at Madison Square Garden in New York, US.
Durant anchored the 7-6 Brooklyn’s offense with 26 points, Bruce Brown had double-double 15 points and 14 rebounds while Joe Harris contributed 15 markers.
The Nets have been ahead for most parts of the game before the Knicks mounted a huge run in the fourth period. Free throws by Brown and Landry Shamet down the stretch sealed the win for the Nets.
Julius Randle top-scored with 30 points, RJ Barrett added 20 markers while Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox contributed 19 and 13 markers respectively as the Knicks slid to a 5-7 win-loss slate.
BOX SCORE:
BROOKLYN 116 – Durant 26, Harris 15, Brown 15, Luwawu-Cabarrot 13, Shamet 13, Green 11, Perry 11, Jordan 9, Chiozza 3.
NEW YORK 109 – Randle 30, Barrett 20, Quickley 19, Knox 13, Robinson 10, Rivers 8, Payton 7, Noel 2, Toppin 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
Q1, 26-25; Q2, 61-45; Q3, 92-76; Q4, 116-109./PN
