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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ben DuBose

Why Kyrie Irving’s trade demand from Nets could benefit Rockets

Kyrie Irving Rockets Nets Brooklyn (Organization) Kevin Durant Houston (Organization) KD James Harden Salman Ali Adrian Wojnarowski

Once LSU forward Tari Eason was picked by the Rockets at No. 17 in the 2022 NBA draft, he became the first draft asset from the blockbuster James Harden trade (the January 2021 version involving Brooklyn and Houston) to be realized. But he’s far from the last.

Because of that Harden deal, the Rockets have a first-round pick headed their way from the Nets or a right to swap first-round picks with Brooklyn in each of the next five drafts, through 2027. All are unprotected, meaning that even if one of those Brooklyn picks ended up at No. 1 in the first round, it could still go to Houston.

Thus, what’s bad for Brooklyn’s long-term outlook is good for Houston’s, and vice versa. That’s why the report of Kyrie Irving demanding a trade by the Feb. 9 NBA deadline is intriguing from the perspective of the Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone.

While the Nets could certainly receive something for Irving in a trade, it would be very hard to get close to fair value, since superstars are such a precious commodity in a league where quality typically trumps quantity. In addition, Irving is eligible to become a free agent in just a few months, which could further limit his market.

There’s also the matter of what Irving’s potential exit from the Nets might mean for his Brooklyn co-star, Kevin Durant. Should Durant again seek to leave, as he tried to last summer, that could be an even bigger domino for Stone and the Rockets, as it pertains to future picks.

Here’s a look at how fans and media members following the Rockets responded to Friday’s Irving bombshell in real time.

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