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2018 NBA Playoffs: Almost 6 years later, Harden and Durant face off in the WCF

By Julian Green

DALLAS, TX - MAY 19: (R) Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder gives a five to teammate James Harden #13 in the second half while taking on the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 19, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MAY 19: (R) Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder gives a five to teammate James Harden #13 in the second half while taking on the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 19, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Its been almost six years since the Oklahoma City Thunder made a trade to disassemble a team with 3 future MVPs. As the 2018 Western Conference Finals are set to begin, Kevin Durant and James Harden square off as the two that got away

Kevin Durant has been on the Bill Simmons Podcast five times over the last year or so. One of the first topics of conversation between the two was Durant expressing his annoyance with Simmons  because he mentioned the James Harden trade too often.

Excuse me as a blog boy Kevin, but we have to re hash it once more. At least it is relevant to the games that are about to be played.

By now, most hoops fans know the story. The Thunder drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in consecutive drafts from 2007 to 2009. Easily the best 3 year run in the draft for any team. After a finals appearance in 2012, the Thunder were heading into the the following season with a looming luxury tax bill had they decided to give Harden a max extension.

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Instead of taking one more shot at the title, Thunder GM Sam Presti panicked, chose to keep Serge Ibaka (also no longer with the team), and traded Harden to the Houston Rockets.

What We Know Now

Since the trade, Harden has become one of the best guards in NBA history. He has finished second in MVP voting twice. He is the odds on favorite to take home the trophy after this season. Harden now plays with a level of efficiency Russell Westbrook could only dream about. Kevin Durant stuck around in OKC for another four years, winning MVP in 2015, and came within one win of the finals in 2016.

During the summer of 2016 though, Durant decided to leave Westbrook and OKC for a super team in Oakland.

Russell Westbrook has seen his fair share of success since the trade as well. He was named MVP of the league in 2017. While he is an amazing player, it has become clear his inability to change his style has made him less valuable than his former teammates. While Thunder fans are glad to have him, I think it is safe to say Durant and Harden have surpassed him in the eye’s of most observers.

Playing The Game Of What If?

Its always fun to play the what if game, especially in the NBA. What if Penny Hardaway never got hurt? How about Grant Hill or Tracy McGrady or Brandon Roy or Derrick Rose? What if Kobe and Shaq thought about legacy instead of pride? What if LeBron makes any other decision than to go to Miami in 2010?

While they are fun to think about, ultimately they never happened and all we have is what really did happen. Besides the fact that this OKC what if sticks out because it was the most recent, it sticks out because of the talent of the three that were broken up.

The legacies of Westbrook, Harden and Durant had many permutations.  OKC keeps all three and wins the next 4 titles. Westbrook and Durant win titles and stay together forever in OKC. OKC keeps Harden over Westbrook and he wins titles with KD. I think any of these would have worked for Thunder fans, as long as titles were involved. Instead Thunder fans and Russell Westbrook will be watching as James Harden and Kevin Durant battle for the right to advance to the NBA Finals.

Must Read: Boston Celtics: Trading Brown or Tatum would be as bad as OKC trading Harden in 2012

For Durant, this provides a chance to move on and add a second title to his resume, inching him closer and closer to consideration as one of the top 10 players to ever lace em up. For Harden, he looks to defeat KD and go get his first championship.

Getting that title would immediately put a stamp on Harden’s career, and make him apart of historic conversations he would otherwise be left out of. Six years after their legacies seemed to be intertwined and infinite, KD and the Beard will face off with the basketball world watching and still wondering what if?