The Houston Rockets have been one of the strongest teams in the NBA league for the past few years, and the departure of James Harden has changed all that. In this article, we'll look at why the Rockets shouldn't have traded Harden in the first place, and explore the impact their decision has on the team's future.
In NBA history, trades have been a common means for teams to restructure their roster. However, sometimes the wrong trade decisions can have a long-term negative impact on a team's future. The Houston Rockets made a serious mistake in the 2021 Harden trade, so let's take a look at why they shouldn't have traded Harden in the first place.
First and foremost, Harden is a fantastic player who has shown amazing offensive talent during his time with the Rockets. As a shooting guard, he has helped the team reach the playoffs many times with his excellent scoring ability and playmaking skills, and he has dominated the game on the court. His three-point shooting ability and penetrating ability make him a difficult presence for opponent defense, and he can single-handedly change the course of the game. Under his leadership, the Rockets have become a formidable team to be reckoned with.
Secondly, Harden's presence is also crucial to the commercial value of the team. As an All-Star and a top star, Harden is both famous and influential. Not only is he able to attract fans to the game, but he is also able to attract advertisers and sponsors to work with the team and increase the team's revenue. This commercial value cannot be easily replaced by other players, and the Rockets lost that advantage after trading Harden.
However, the Rockets opted to trade Harden instead, a decision that left fans disappointed and confused. First, the Rockets didn't get the same amount of money in the trade as Harden, and they only got a couple of role players and future draft picks. The outcome of such a trade would be unbalanced for a team that once had a superstar like Harden and would not be able to meet the team's need to improve in the competition.
Second, after trading Harden, the Rockets' record dropped significantly. They have failed to make the playoffs again in the past few seasons and have had a mediocre season. The team's offensive efficiency has dropped significantly, and with the loss of Harden, a core player with scoring prowess, the Rockets' offensive organization has become chaotic and lacks a unified style. As a result, the team gradually lost its competitiveness and could no longer compete with other strong teams.
Finally, trading Harden also had a negative impact on the team's reputation. The trade was widely seen as a failed decision for the Rockets, and the team's management was criticized for it. Fans lost faith in the team and began to wonder if the management was capable of bringing success to the team. This negative public opinion and reputational damage is very detrimental to the development of the Rockets and makes it more difficult for the team to rebuild.
To sum up, the Houston Rockets made a serious mistake when they chose to trade Harden in the first place. As the core player of the team, Harden has excellent offensive ability and commercial value, which has an important impact on the team's competitiveness and reputation. After trading Harden, the Rockets not only did not get a proper return, but their record also dropped significantly, and they also lost the team's commercial value and reputation. Such a bad decision poses a huge challenge to the future development of the Rockets and makes fans uneasy about the team's prospects. Hopefully, the Rockets can learn from this experience, rebuild effectively, regain their competitiveness, and inject new impetus into the team's future.