The Houston Rockets are going to make the playoffs, and without trading for James Harden there basically was no chance they would. The Oklahoma City Thunder still are among the top five contenders for the NBA championship, but not likely as strong a contender as they were the day before they traded Harden.

So you would say win Houston/lose Oklahoma City on the preseason trade, thus far, even with the Rudy Gay trade to Memphis last week the biggest trade of the NBA season.

But there are some other buts and ifs and maybes here and a transaction that may take a few more years to play out. Much like the way Memphis was celebrated on draft night in 2008 for "stealing" O.J. Mayo from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.