Aim for Durant! The Rockets and Nets swapped in the first round, and Houston brewed a big trade aimed at the superstar

Ball brother Kan Ball

2024-06-26 11:03Published in Guangdong

There is news of a blockbuster trade in the NBA, the Nets and the Knicks completed a 1-for-8 deal, and the Nets sent Bridges to the Knicks in exchange for forward Bojan + 4 unprotected first rounds + 1 protected first round from the Bucks + 1 unprotected first-round swap + 1 second round.

In this deal, both sides take what they need, and the Nets have gained a lot of future assets, giving the team more options for the future. The Knicks, on the other hand, continue to strengthen their forward line, and once they overcome their injury problems in the new season, they will become the new challengers in the East.

After the Nets reached a deal with the Knicks, they immediately completed a draft pick swap with the Rockets that did not involve players, and the deal reads: The Nets sent 1 first-round pick + 2 first-round swap rights, and exchanged the 25-year swap rights + 26-year first-round pick sent by the Nets in the previous Harden trade from the Rockets.

The Nets are doing this with a clear purpose, the team is ready to start a rebuild by sending Bridges, who they considered the core of last season, and once the team enters the rebuild, the two first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 will be very valuable. So, they got the 25-year swap rights and the 26-year draft picks back. To do this, they sent another first-round pick and two other swaps to the Rockets to compensate.

After this deal, the Rockets have an additional first-round swap and an extra trade chip. According to Woj's follow-up report, the reason why the Rockets completed such a 2-for-3 trade is to collect the first round and brew a big trade.

Woj said that the Rockets packed up the first-round pick to trade Durant!

Durant's situation with the Suns has not been ideal for more than a season, and he was swept out of the first round last season, which ushered in a lot of doubts. And with the current Suns' deformed lineup and the team's already explosive salary space, it will be difficult for them to make a difference in the new season, and breaking up the Big Three may be a good choice. And the Rockets currently have enough draft pick assets and young players as chips to help both sides get what they need.

However, Woj also said in the report that the Suns still want to keep Durant and let the Big Three roster try for another year. The Rockets, on the other hand, are likely to use their first-round picks elsewhere, and the Rockets are now keen to make a big upgrade.

It is not difficult to see from Woj's report that the goal of the Rockets is obvious, which is to produce results, and with the current roster alone, it is difficult for them to be truly competitive in the West. They also need to make a big trade upgrade to bring in a superstar to lead the team, and Durant is considered an ideal choice.

Even if they can't trade Durant, the team will use those assets to trade another star.

As the draft approaches, the Nets and Knicks are the first to fire the first shot of a big trade, and next, the league will have more big trades, and the Rockets will be one of the protagonists. Once the Rockets can bring in a real superstar, there is no doubt that under Udoka's leadership, the post-Harden Houston is really going to take off!

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