Brooklyn Nets Receive: James Harden ($41.2M 2020-21 Salary)
Houston Rockets Receive: Spencer Dinwiddie ($11.4M), Caris LeVert ($16.2M), Taurean Prince ($13.9M), Rodions Kurucs ($1.7M), PHI 2020 1st Round Pick (Pick #19), BRK 2021 1st Round Pick (Possible Protection), BRK 2023 1st Round Pick (Possible Protection)
If the Brooklyn Nets are going to try and make acquiring James Harden quick and simple, they are going to have to be prepared to give up quite the entourage. Just to be able and cover Harden’s massive salary hit of $41.2M for this upcoming season, the Nets will have to cut ties with Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince and Rodions Kurucs who’s contracts accumulate to $43.2M for the 2020-21 NBA season.
Dinwiddie and LeVert are two guys who would join the Rockets as they rebuild but set the foundation for the avenue in which this franchise would go. Both players are coming off great 2019-20 campaigns and offer a lot to any team they would join. Spencer Dinwiddie put up All-Star like numbers last season with the Brooklyn Nets where he averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists, while shooting 41.5% from the floor and 30.8% from three-point range in 64 games. Dinwiddie was the Nets leading scorer last season, amongst players who played over 20 games, and led them to a 35-37 record where they drew the 7th seed in the NBA Eastern Conference.
Caris LeVert is also coming off his best statistical season in his young NBA career and has a lot of potential as he enters his fifth season in the league. Although he has battled injuries early in his career and throughout college, when he is on the court, he has all the makings of an NBA All-Star. In 45 games last season, the young phenom averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals and shot 42.5% from the floor and 36.4% from three.
Taurean Prince, another guy early on in his career, has proven to be a reliable forward option either as a starter or off the bench with the second unit. In four seasons, Prince has played for both the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets and has been successful with both teams. He is not the type of player that will go out and score 20 points a night, but he will score between 8-14 points a night with most of his contributions coming from the defensive end of the court. Prince has made a name for himself being a 3-and-D player and is capable of guarding both perimeter-oriented and post-oriented opponents. Toughness is the word that comes to mind when you watch Taurean Prince play and he would be an excellent addition to a rebuilding Houston franchise.
Giving up three 1st Round Picks definitely leaves a dent in the Nets future draft plans, but will be the likely asking price for a player of James Harden’s caliber. The Milwaukee Bucks recently traded for Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans and gave up three first-round selections, as well as two pick swaps if the Pelicans want to swap picks with the Bucks in two different drafts that were not named. Jrue Holiday, not to downplay his skill level or abilities, is not even close to being on the same level as James Harden, so if the Nets were somehow able to get away with sending only three first-round picks to the Rockets for Harden, it would be an absolute steal.
