With team morale in shambles, the Rockets did what they had to Wednesday, unloading James Harden and his massive ego in an earth-shattering four-team trade (it somehow managed to overshadow Donald Trump’s impeachment, which was happening simultaneously) that netted Houston nearly a decade worth of draft picks from the Brooklyn Nets. Houston also landed two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo, who should slot in as the Rockets’ starting two-guard post-Harden.
Given the circumstances—Harden had sabotaged any existing sense of team chemistry and was only going to make things worse the longer he stayed—Oladipo and a treasure trove of future draft assets is probably as good a return as Houston could have hoped for (it doesn’t sound like the Sixers were too keen on including Ben Simmons in a potential Harden trade). Between Oladipo, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Wood, the Rockets would seem to have a strong foundation in place. Except the Rockets failed to consider the possibility Oladipo might not want to play for them. And that is indeed the case, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, who suspects Oladipo could be dealt again ahead of the NBA’s March 25th trade deadline.
“Houston could also flip Oladipo, who wanted out of Indiana but landed in another place he doesn’t want to be,” O’Connor wrote in his recap of Wednesday’s blockbuster. “League sources say Oladipo still hopes to find himself in Miami.”
Great, so the Rockets essentially swapped out one disgruntled star for another. While Oladipo likely won’t wreak as much havoc as Harden did on his way out of Houston, O’Connor’s report would suggest the 28-year-old won’t be part of the team’s long-term future.
How that manifests itself remains to be seen. Will Oladipo play the role of good soldier, giving Houston his all before inevitably moving on in free agency? Or will he take a page out of Harden’s playbook, treating the Rockets as an annoying obstacle in the way of his ultimate goal, which appears to be joining the Miami Heat? Of course, for GM Rafael Stone, Oladipo’s expiring contract could be why the Rockets targeted him in the first place. With Cousins’ contract also coming off the books next year, Houston will have plenty of cap room—not to mention an ungodly amount of draft capital—for rebuilding.
Even if he’s not long for Houston, Oladipo’s Rockets tenure promises to be an interesting one.
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