Rockets fans, please move past the Caris LeVert non-trade

It’s no secret that the Houston Rockets have been forced into a rebuild, as their former MVP backcourt of Russell Westbrook and James Harden are no longer on the team, which brought about a wholesale reset. Rockets GM Rafael Stone, who was ushered in to the executive position when Daryl Morey abruptly stepped down, faced key decisions on what to do with the Rockets’ roster, which consisted of veteran players, as the Rockets were one of the oldest teams in the league last season.

The Rockets eventually parted ways with Robert Covington, P.J. Tucker, DeMarcus Cousins and Ben McLemore, along with the aforementioned Westbrook and Harden trades. But the most heavily discussed deal was the one that involved Harden, and the most consistently mentioned component of Harden’s trade to the Brooklyn Nets involves a trade that never even occurred.

You likely have heard a thing or two about the Rockets’ decision to pass on Caris LeVert, who was sent to the Indiana Pacers, while Victor Oladipo was sent to the Houston Rockets instead. But what’s been quite the surprise is how often the Rockets’ disinterest in LeVert has been discussed, as it now seems to be a talking point everyday, with LeVert being referred to as a cornerstone more than his actual name.

This was especially the case after Wednesday night’s performance by LeVert against the very Rockets team that passed on him. In total, LeVert posted a statline of 27 points on 10-of-20 from the floor and 4-of-9 from distance, while going a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, which is a statline that will likely be used as proof point by those who are of the belief that the Rockets made a mistake by passing on him.

But although many may still have this viewpoint, it’s time to move on from this conversation, for a number of reasons.

Next: No. 3