NBA Free Agency: 5 Most Impactful Trades in the summer of 2017

#2 Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets

Golden State Warriors v Houston Rockets - Game Five

The Houston Rockets had been on the come-up ever since getting themselves rid of the excess fat their roster had accumulated in the form of Ty Lawson, Josh Smith and Dwight Howard in 2016. They, however, needed a player who could take the offensive pressure off Harden's shoulders for extended periods in a game - and they had all the assets required to pull off a record-breaking 8-players-for-1 trade in order to acquire Chris Paul.

Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer, DeAndre Liggins, Darun Hillard and a first-round draft pick in 2019 were traded by Daryl Morey in order to acquire the point guard. The likes of Hillard, Wiltjer and Liggins were acquired in exchange for cash considerations by Morey just to trade away as pieces for this deal - which speaks volumes about his excellence at the job.

Paul gelled into life at the Toyota Center and made a seamless transition to a more off-ball role. The Rockets made it to the Conference Finals and held a 3-2 lead in the series before going down in 7 games in Paul's absence.