The early-2010s Oklahoma City Thunder remain one of the greatest “what-ifs” in modern NBA history with a roster that housed three future MVPs: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. Had this trio not been broken up in 2012, the Thunder would’ve won at least two NBA titles… at least that’s what Harden believes.
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During his appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, Harden commented on the Thunder trade and how his stint with the Houston Rockets changed the trajectory of his career. Considering how close the Thunder came to a championship win in his first three seasons (2009-2010 to 2011-2012) with the organization, the Beard believes that the team was on track to be an NBA dynasty.
“My rookie year we was 8th seed and we play the Lakers – they was the #1 seed. We scared them for sure, had OKC cracking, and they won the championship. My second year we in the Western Conference Finals against Dallas and they win the championship. My 3rd year we in the finals against the Heat and that was Bron’s first championship… ” Harden explained.
The Thunder and their trio of young stars consistently improved with each passing year and regularly dominated the league despite their youth and inexperience. Had the front office shown any faith on the roster, Harden’s story would be different.
Instead, they offered him a four-year, $55 million contract and traded him to the Rockets when he demanded more. Despite missing out on the chance to potentially win a few titles, Harden looks at this move as a “blessing” because of all the opportunities that followed.
“It was over $4 million. But it was a blessing though because coming off the finals which I didn’t play well and then Olympics – opportunity to be around all these vets,” Harden concluded.
James Harden says if Russ, KD and him stayed together in OKC they would’ve won 2 championships minimum and OKC didn’t pay him over only $4 million
“My rookie year we’re the 8th seed and we play the Lakers, we scared them and had OKC cracking and they won the chip. My second… pic.twitter.com/UhJ6ovBtVq
— 08-17 Russ fan (@TheWestbrookEra) November 22, 2024
Harden might not have a championship on his resume yet, but his career trajectory completely changed after the trade. He was able to showcase his true potential as a generational offensive talent and a franchise centerpiece.
Had Harden remained with the Thunder, he probably would have continued to play a supporting role, overshadowed by the presence of Westbrook and Durant. This could have restricted his growth, preventing him from evolving into the MVP-caliber player we witnessed in Houston.
