With just three days before the first games of the 2012-13 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets agreed to the terms of a deal that sends reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward to Houston in exchange for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb to go along with two future first round draft picks and a second round pick.
This trade comes after Oklahoma City failed to sign Harden to a maximum contract that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka already have. The 2011 Western Conference champs lose their best scorer off the bench. The 23-year-old shooting guard has seen improvements in his points per game, field goal percentage, and assists each year that he has been in the league.
James Harden, the centerpiece of the deal, will finally get his shot at a starting role in Houston. The Arizona State product would start for just about any team in the NBA other than Oklahoma City and will likely be expected to carry a very young and inexperienced Rockets squad.
Daequan Cook is the player in this deal who can make the second biggest impact for the Rockets after James Harden. Cook started twenty-two games for Oklahoma City last season on a team with lots of depth. Similarly to Harden, his experience on elite teams and ability to be a double-digit scorer may elevate his value on his new team.
Cole Aldrich and Lazar Hayward will continue their roles as bench players in Houston. Aldrich saw limited action in two years with the Thunder. He has never scored more than seven points in a game but has shot the ball well, connecting on 53% of his shots. Hayward has averaged just eight minutes and three points per game in sixty-eight games during his two year career.
Oklahoma City Thunder fans should analyze the trade before over-reacting to the loss of James Harden. Kevin Martin has a career average of 18.4 points per game and a lifetime 44% field goal percentage. He has had five seasons where he’s averaged over twenty points per game. The Thunder are getting a proven scorer and a veteran who will be eager to join a team destined for the playoffs after only playing in one playoff series over his eight year career.
Jeremy Lamb is a rookie with a tremendous upside. Along with Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, Alex Oriakhi, and the rest of the Connecticut Huskies, Lamb won the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship in the 2010 season. With Walker in the NBA, Lamb averaged nearly eighteen points per game and made close to half of his shot attempts last season.
Add in two future first round draft picks to the equation and the Thunder may be able to get over the loss of James Harden quite easily. They get a lottery-protected first round draft pick that is originally from the Toronto Raptors. The other one will likely be towards the end of the first round since Houston acquired it from the Los Angeles Lakers.
This deal is favorable for both teams but especially the Oklahoma City Thunder. Martin is just as much of a scorer as Harden. The only question with OKC’s new shooting guard is how he will deal with coming off of the bench if they choose to use him in the same manner as his predecessor. Lamb may struggle to get playing time as a rookie but can develop into another scoring option in Oklahoma City’s backcourt over time.
The Thunder have drafted well in recent years and a significant portion of their lineup has been developed through the draft. Nick Collison, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka have all been drafted since 2003. With two more first round picks, including one that is guaranteed to be a lottery pick, there is no reason why the Oklahoma City Thunder won’t become a better team because of this major deal.
Andy Wittry 