Sources: Houston Rockets trade James Harden to Brooklyn Nets in 4-team megadeal sending Caris LeVert to Indiana Pacers

The Rockets have sent James Harden to the Nets in a blockbuster four-team trade that also involves the Pacers and Cavaliers, completing the unhappy star's exit from Houston and setting up a potential superteam in Brooklyn, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

The Nets dealt Houston a package that includes multiple players and draft picks and features guard Caris LeVert, who was then traded to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, sources told ESPN.

Center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince are headed from the Nets to the Cavs in the deal, sources told ESPN, while the Rockets receive Cleveland guard  Dante Exum and Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs.

Houston also receives three unprotected first-round draft picks from Brooklyn in the deal -- in 2022, 2024 and 2026 -- plus pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027, sources told ESPN. The Rockets also get Cleveland's 2022 first-round pick, via the Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston is sending a 2023 second-round pick to the Pacers, sources told ESPN.

Brooklyn also gets a 2024 second-round pick from the Cavaliers. The Nets have three open roster spots to fill out their bench, if they choose -- a $5.7 million tax midlevel, the minimum exception and likely a $5.7 million disabled player exception.

The megadeal reunites Harden with former Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and positions the Nets, who also have All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, as title contenders in the Eastern Conference.

"I think basketball is about playing together and being the best you can be. So, no matter who you are, it's about finding connectivity and balance within a team and trying to be greater than the sum of your parts," Nets coach Steve Nash said before Wednesday's game against the Knicks. "So, that doesn't change no matter what your team looks like, and that's definitely a goal and a thread of our team from day one."

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league's two-time reigning MVP, said the trade is "an amazing move by Brooklyn."

"Obviously they got better, way better," Antetokounmpo said after recording a triple-double in Milwaukee's victory Wednesday over the Pistons. "And they're really a powerhouse right now in the East having KD, James Harden, Kyrie Irving together on one team. That's tough.

"But, at the end of the day, we've got to focus on ourselves. We've got to keep improving, keep playing good basketball and moving forward, we'll see how it is going to end up."

The trade was agreed to after the Rockets opted to keep Harden away from Wednesday's practice, following the former MVP's comments Tuesday that Houston isn't "good enough" to compete for a championship.

Harden hired Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields from Wasserman, and they worked closely with the Rockets and all teams involved to secure the trade for him, sources told ESPN. Wasserman also represented Russell Westbrook and worked closely with the Rockets on his trade to Wizards.

Harden, who was unable to get the Rockets past the Western Conference finals, had remained quiet through months of reports that he was unhappy in Houston. First-year Rockets head coach Stephen Silas called the drama surrounding Harden an "all-around messed up situation."

The Rockets are 3-6 -- only Minnesota has a worse record in the Western Conference -- and Houston guard John Wall called the situation "rocky," while fellow newcomer DeMarcus Cousins said before Wednesday's trade that Harden's antics were "disrespectful" to his teammates.

The Nets were ready to swoop in, after a shaky defense during the early season proved their best chance to beat teams might be to outscore them. Harden won each of the past three scoring titles by notable margins -- 2.3 points over Anthony Davis in 2017-18, 8.1 points over Paul George in 2018-19 and 3.8 points over Bradley Beal last season. His average so far this season ranked 18th in the NBA, well off his usual pace.

It could pick back up again in Brooklyn, where Nash's assistant running the offense is Mike D'Antoni, Harden's coach during his best seasons in Houston.

D'Antoni didn't return after last season, and it quickly became clear Harden wanted out too. He was a no-show when camp opened and was later fined $50,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after attending an indoor event without a mask in violation of the NBA's health and safety protocols.

The Nets are scheduled to visit the Rockets on March 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) -- the last game of the first half of their schedules.

At the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, the Nets moved ahead of the Bucks and are now the second-favorites to win the NBA title, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nets' title odds improved from +550 to +300.

"My first thought: It's good to get James Harden to the East," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. "A lot of the dominant NBA players have been in the West for whatever reason. And it's good to balance it out."

By adding Harden, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night, giving them a collection of firepower to rival any big three in recent years.

Harden and Durant, who have combined to win seven of the past 11 NBA scoring titles entering this season, become the fifth pair of teammates in NBA history to play on the same team after winning multiple scoring titles, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Durant, who scored 26 points in the Nets' 116-109 win over the Knicks on Wednesday, is averaging 29.4 points through nine games in his first season back from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Irving was scoring 27.1 per game before leaving the team last week for personal reasons.

Harden, who had joined the Rockets after training camp began, is averaging 24.8 points this season after three straight seasons above 30.

ESPN's Malika Andrews and The Associated Press contributed to this report.