WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The NBA's wild off-season took another turn on Thursday when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul, local media reported.
In addition to Paul, the Thunder will receive first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, plus the right to swap first-round picks in 2021 and 2025.
Last week, the Thunder also traded their other All-Star player, Paul George, to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will team up with Kawhi Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA title last season.
Chris Paul and 2018 MVP James Harden were teammates at Houston for two seasons. The Rockets had a 3-2 lead over the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference finals when Paul injured a hamstring, and the Warriors rallied to win that series in seven games on the way to the NBA title. This past season, Houston were knocked out in the second round by the Warriors again.
Westbrook and Harden were Thunder teammates for three seasons. The duo helped the Thunder make the NBA Finals in 2017, but they lost in five games to a LeBron James and Dwyane Wade-inspired Miami Heat. After that, Harden joined the Rockets.