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The Rockets would be stuck with Westbrook's huge contract, which lasts a year beyond Paul's and presents Westbrook with a whopping $47.1 million player option for 2022-23. Harden will have to be a spot-up threat when Westbrook is initiating the offense. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, sending Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, dealing away Paul George for a historic haul of draft picks. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. The Thunder have very clearly shifted into asset-accumulation mode, relying on their own ability to evaluate talent going forward while creating as many chances as possible to find value through the draft. 2024 first round pick, protected 1-4 But it’s the nature of his flaws that makes this such a risky bet. Presti is going to be Mr. Should this grand experiment fail, Morey will shoulder the blame. Russell Westbrook trade: Russell Westbrook to Knicks rumours swell 2022 Own (1-14) For the record, here’s a list of all the first-round picks the Thunder now own—they’ve added eight first-rounders since the draft. Houston was reportedly searching for a third team as a Paul landing spot, but for now, he will be a member of the Thunder. They are both at their best with the ball. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Paul could just be making a pit stop before another trade is executed. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. In a blockbuster trade that will send Russell Westbrook to Houston and Chris Paul to OKC, the Thunder actually come away with an abundance of value as they prepare for an all-out rebuild. Harden only attempted 70 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, but he did hit on 41.1 percent of them. Russell Westbrook and Harden decides they wanted to reunite and Rockets made it happen despite some questions about fit now that Harden is so ball dominant. “At least they’re trying something different” is never the most comforting way to qualify a serious gamble. Rockets receive: Russell Westbrook. On the one-year anniversary T.I. Can a man who has been so particular about his approach, style, parking spot and pregame sandwiches for a decade learn to be less rigid? 2025 Own (LAC and HOU 21-30 swap right) The bigger question is whether it’ll work in the playoffs, where the Rockets have run aground for the entirety of the Harden era, falling short in two conference finals. Publié le 22 septembre 2020 à 14h35 22 septembre 2020. Thunder receive: Chris Paul, future first-round picks (2024 and 2026), future pick swaps (2021 and 2025). The Rockets could have easily run it back for another year with James Harden and Paul leading the way, but general manager Daryl Morey opted to go all-in with Westbrook, Harden's former Thunder teammate. Catch & Shoot 3's: ESPN reports both players are “enthusiastic.” But most all-superstar marriages begin with a honeymoon. This is the NBA’s only pairing of MVP winners, and their contracts run concurrently at least through 2021-22, after which both hold pricy player options. Let's grade this trade: ... he's a genuine superstar who can guard the league's best wing players and relieve the enormous scoring burden on guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook leaves the Thunder with the most points, second-most assists and third-most rebounds in franchise history. Westbrook is slightly underrated now because he is such an easy target. Houston’s 2024 and 2026 first-rounders are top-four protected, and whether the 2021 and 2025 pick swaps will actually be of use are anyone’s guess. While Westbrook is terrible on above-the-break 3-pointers (27.9 percent) in 2018-19, he actually was respectable from the corners (37.2 percent). On the one-year anniversary T.I. Sources: Pick protections in Thunder/Rockets, Russell Westbrook/Chris Paul trade: He only took 51 total shots from the corners, though, and 359 above the break. Reblog. Paul, 34, has two years left on his contract and a player option for the 2021-22 season (totaling nearly $124 million), and while his shooting percentages dipped this season, his statistical output as a whole has remained strong. That number needs to dip way down. 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Both could be gone by 2022 or 2023, and if the Rockets aren’t careful, they could become a lottery team with nothing in the cupboard if they mishandle this. He is overpaid, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute to a winning team. His savvy, competitive drive and playmaking feel have not diminished. SportsPulse: Houston couldn't stay idle and watch everyone else improve. The simple fact that his deal runs shorter and cheaper than Westbrook’s (who has four years and about $171 million left on his max contract) adds value for Oklahoma City in the event they’re forced to hold on to him long-term. It’s going to be a long rebuild, and the Thunder need to hit on some of those picks. The bigger question might be how Houston stops anyone. There's also the issue of whether Westbrook can cede the floor to Harden, and vice versa. 2026 LAC Paul topped all other point guards in ESPN's Real Defensive Plus-Minus, and the Rockets' defensive rating dropped nearly eight points per 100 possessions with Paul on the floor vs. off. Trade Grades: Thunder, Rockets Swap Stars in Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul Deal In a blockbuster trade that will send Russell Westbrook to Houston and Chris Paul to … 2023 Own (LAC swap right) This is a pretty massive bet by the Rockets, who seem to find new ways to up the ante every summer under Daryl Morey. Oklahoma City wants to avoid the luxury tax, so another move is coming, whether it involves Paul or another Thunder player. Morey is the type of GM who likes to acquire as much talent as possible, then figure out the specifics later. 2020 Own (1-20) Rockets reaction to Russell Westbrook trade: Championship or bust. Presti produced flexibility, and that’s exactly what any rebuilding team needs. Please stop. The nature of his contract, of course, might make it difficult for the Thunder to actually deal him. Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.

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