As we once again reach the anniversary of the infamous James Harden trade, we look at the seven NBA teams that nearly landed The Beard back in 2012.
On October 27, 2012, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets. Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward joined him. In return, the Thunder obtained Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
Whilst two of the draft picks (Steven Adams and Alex Abrines) have ended up on the current Thunder roster (with Adams looking to be a potential top-10 center in the NBA), both Martin and Lamb are no longer with the organisation.
Meanwhile, in Houston, Harden has enjoyed four consecutive all-star appearances, two All-NBA First Team selections, one All-NBA Third Team selection, a trip to the Western Conference Finals and a second place finish in MVP voting in 2014-15.
It’s safe to say now, more than ever, that this trade was a total and complete bust for the Thunder. On the other side, the Rockets got a heist of a deal. Time has only made this trade seem worse and worse for the Thunder. They lost another part of their former Big 3 when Kevin Durant bolted for Golden State in the offseason.
But what if I told you that the Rockets weren’t the only team close to a deal for Harden? There were seven other teams that had Oklahoma City’s interest and that maybe could’ve changed not only their own team’s fortunes but the Thunder’s too.
So, as we approach another NBA season in which Harden is no longer in a Thunder uniform, let’s take a look at the seven other uniforms he could’ve been wearing instead of Houston’s.
(If you’re interested in this type of article, feel free to check out my piece on Kevin Garnett and the teams he almost joined in 2007)