Max Kellerman Declares Winner Of James Harden Trade

Amber · January 15, 2021

James Harden is one of the best players in the NBA and on Wednesday, he was part of a blockbuster trade that sent him from Houston to Brooklyn. The Nets gave up a lot of draft picks to make this happen although the team feels like their time to win a title is now and they would rather give up their future than sacrifice their present.

There has been a lot of discussion about who won the trade and so far, this has elicited some hot takes from the NBA media establishment. Today on ESPN's First Take, Max Kellerman delivered his own view of what took place, noting that he believes the Rockets are now in a better position. As Kellerman explains, the Nets will be horrible once Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Harden leave, while the Rockets will have a much brighter future.

"By 2024 do we know what Brooklyn's gonna be?! ... Given the age of the roster and what they gave up, Brooklyn's gonna be really good for a little while, and then probably not so good," Kellerman explained.

Of course, if the Nets manage to win a championship within their window, the future won't matter nearly as much considering every franchise dreams of an NBA title. Needless to say, it will take a little while before we know which teams truly came out on top.