Joseph Casciaro 9 hrs ago


Another day, another blockbuster transaction in the NBA, as the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder swapped future Hall of Fame point guards Thursday evening.

After a season of reported discontent between Chris Pauland James Harden in Houston, the Rockets shipped Paul - along with two first-round draft picks and two more pick swaps - to Oklahoma City in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

From a team-building perspective, the trade is a coup for the Thunder. Sam Presti somehow turned Westbrook's contract - which has up to four years and roughly $171 million remaining on it - into Paul's slightly less damaging three-year, $124-million pact and control of Houston's first-rounders in 2021, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

If you're keeping track at home, Presti has turned Westbrook, Paul George, and Jerami Grant into 12 first-round picks or pick swaps between 2020 and 2026 within the span of six days. Remember, too, that in addition to acquiring its point guard of the future, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, from the Clippers in the George deal, Oklahoma City also landed Danilo Gallinari, whose offensive skill set and $22.6-million expiring contract should easily fetch the Thunder another asset or two.