Welcome to the Morning Shootaround, where every weekday you’ll get a fresh, topical column from one of SI.com’s NBA writers: Howard Beck on Mondays, Chris Mannix on Tuesdays, Michael Pina on Wednesdays, Chris Herring on Thursdays and Rohan Nadkarni on Fridays.
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone reflected on the James Harden trade in a press conference last week, noting it wasn’t fair to judge Houston’s return on its blockbuster deal until at least 2030. The comment was made largely in jest, followed by a chuckle from Daryl Morey’s successor.