Rockets owner thinks team made ‘great’ trade for James Harden

Many believe the Houston Rockets got 30 cents on the dollar for ex-MVP James Harden. Owner Tilman Fertitta thinks the exact opposite though.

Fertitta appeared this week on CNBC. One of the topics he spoke on was the Harden deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Citing all of the draft picks that the Rockets acquired, Fertitta called it “a great trade,” per Nets Daily.

Few will agree with Fertitta’s assessment here. Houston ultimately netted four first-round picks and four first-round pick swaps in the multi-team trade. Many of those picks may end up in the 20s, depending on how long the Nets can compete for. The Rockets also ended up with Victor Oladipo, Rodions Kurucs, and Dante Exum. But neither Oladipo nor Kurucs are even with the team anymore. Oladipo in particular went to Miami in what many saw as a finesse job by the Heat.

Of course Fertitta will speak positively about the move that his team made. But especially considering that his own pettiness may have prevented the Rockets from getting a better return, the comments will attract skepticism.