The tables have turned since the Houston Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone were mocked by many in early 2021 for what those critics viewed at the time as an underwhelming trade return for James Harden.
Today, barely over 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 traded Harden to Philadelphia at Thursday’s trade deadline. With the 76ers, Harden reunites with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was his general manager in Houston.
The implications to the current 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 that roster is relevant to the Rockets.
