James Harden Trade: What it means for the Charlotte Hornets

What does the James Harden trade mean for the Charlotte Hornets moving forward?

As many fans know, the Charlotte Hornets’ conference got even stronger over the past week. The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire James Harden from the Houston Rockets.

The Hornets defeated this Nets team at the beginning of the season, but this trade made them even stronger. Even though the Nets gave up many assets in the process, the team still managed to get their franchise shooting guard.

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Other teams were involved with this trade as well. First, the Nets sent Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Next, the Nets sent Caris LeVert and a second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers. Finally, the Rockets received Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, Victor Oladipo, and four first-round picks.

While this trade impacted the Nets, the other details of it impacted other teams in the conference. The Cavaliers got stronger, while the Pacers got a little stronger and younger at the two-spot.

Since making this trade, the Nets have not lost a game yet. In Harden’s first game as a Net, he finished with a triple-double, while Kevin Durant finished with a 40+ point game.

This super team will be a problem moving forward, and the Hornets may have more than they can handle. Even though Kyrie Irving has not played with Harden and Durant yet, one can only imagine how good this team will become.

This trade looks even scarier when you compare the top scorers to the Hornets’. The top-scorers for Charlotte are Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, as they average 19.9+ points per game. The Nets now have two players averaging 30+ per game and Irving, who’s averaging over 27.

The Nets have the best superteam in the East Conference, but they are currently in 5th place in the standings. They only are a game behind from taking the #1 spot in the East.

Coach James Borrego is going to have to do some serious planning against this new Nets team. If the Hornets want any chance at the playoffs, they will have to find a compete against teams like Brooklyn.

The Charlotte Hornets are currently tied for 9th place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-8 record. They have a chance to make it to the top-8, but it’s going to require consistent wins.