This remains one of the biggest “What-ifs” in recent NBA history. Right after making the 2012 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City traded James Harden due to budget concerns. Would the Thunder have won the title if the Bearded Man had stayed with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? Harden has his own ideas on the matter.
We remember it like it was yesterday.
On October 27, 2012, the Thunder decided to send James Harden – Sixth Man of the Year in the NBA – to Houston, thus breaking up the trio as talented as it was promising with KD and Westbrook. All this a few months after losing in the Finals against the Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The reasons behind this surprising and even shocking deal? Negotiations which were unsuccessful regarding a contract extension for Harden.
It's now been twelve years since that trade happened, and we still wonder what the Thunder could have accomplished with Harden, Durant and Westbrook together, three players who were voted NBA MVPs during their exceptional careers. The Barbu thinks OKC would have won the title, and not just one (via Earn Your Leisure).
“During my rookie year, we finished eighth and we played the Lakers, we freaked them out and then they won the title. My second year, we went to the conference finals against Dallas, who then won the title. The third year, it was the NBA Finals against the Heat, it was the year LeBron won his first title. That summer, we went to the Olympics, we won gold. And then at the beginning of my fourth year, I transferred.
If we had stayed together in OKC, we would have won at least 2 NBA titles.”
James Harden assures that the Thunder did not want to extend him because of a four million dollar dispute, between his expectations and OKC's offer. The franchise had already extended KD, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, and preferred to count its money rather than keep Harden. The latter was sent to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first-round draft picks.
What’s next? The Thunder never returned to the NBA Finals again, and neither did James Harden.
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Source texte : Earn Your Leisure
James Harden:
“If the Thunder would’ve stayed together instead of being broken up over $4M, we would’ve won two chips at least.”
(via @EarnYourLeisure) pic.twitter.com/C3RzvteVva
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1859985574997983381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
