Despite reports around the league that Russell Westbrook might end up with the Miami Heat, it was revealed last night that the triple-double guru had been dealt to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and a plethora of draft picks. The trade helps to reunite Westbrook with James Harden as the two played together on the Thunder between 2009-2012. The two have been able to remain good friends and it's clear that they wanted to play together again. Considering the rumors of tension between Harden and Paul, it's not too much of a surprise to see Paul on a brand new team.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Westbrook and Harden started talking about the possibility of linking up as soon as Paul George was dealt from OKC to the Los Angeles Clippers. Westbrook knew he would be in trouble on his own and wanted to go to a contending team.
"From what I understand, the night that the [Paul George] trade went down, that [Westbrook and Harden] got on the phone together and started working on it," Windhorst explained.
Harden and Westbrook are both NBA MVP winners so Rockets fans will surely be excited to see both of them on their team. Some analysts are worried about the team' chemistry though considering how focused both players are on their stat sheets. Either way, the Rockets will surely be a story night in and night out.
[Via]