In the summer of 2019, the Thunder traded former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul and several first-round picks. From that moment onward, these two franchises have been intrinsically linked. Could they look to strengthen that bond this summer?
At first glance, it appears unlikely. After all, the Rockets found themselves trading both Westbrook and James Harden about a year after that deal. They mostly received a huge chunk of draft capital for the latter. They’re now in the early stages of a rebuild and, more significantly, in almost the same place as the Thunder.
Still, this is the NBA: you can’t rule out possibilities. Plus, these two organizations aren’t the same. The Rockets play in a considerably bigger market. They can more safely bank on adding talent through free agency and trades rather than banking on the draft. If a star became available, they could opt to cut bait with their rebuild and shift gears.
In case you haven’t heard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star.
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So much so that it might be a problem for the Thunder. Orchestrating a multiyear tank job becomes more difficult with an elite guard in the rotation.
If the team decides to trade their best player this summer, here are two trade packages that would send him to the Houston Rockets.
