Report via Houston Chronicle - In a summer of stunners that had rocked the NBA, the Rockets on Thursday pulled off what could be the largest of them all, trading for 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to reunite him in a dramatically transformed backcourt with James Harden, two individuals with knowledge of the deal said.
The Rockets will send Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with two first-round picks and the right to swap picks in two additional drafts. ESPN initially reported the trade.
Westbrook and Harden had strongly favored the move and a chance to play in a backcourt together, as they did for Harden's first three seasons together, a person with knowledge of their thinking had said.
Westbrook had met with the Thunder front office this week to say he would welcome a trade following the Paul George departure to the Clippers, but an individual with knowledge of the talks said he had initially broached the subject after the OKC season ended with a first-round loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Paul will return to Oklahoma City, where he played after Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans Hornets to play during Paul's first two NBA seasons.
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