Durant's Raw Emotions on the Harden Trade

Thirteen years after the pivotal trade that sent James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets, Kevin Durant is still grappling with what could have been. In the latest season of Netflix's Starting 5, Durant shared his candid feelings about the 2012 deal, revealing that when opposing players like LeBron James celebrated the trade, his reaction was a defiant "shut the f--k up." Durant expressed that James and the rest of the NBA were pleased the Thunder’s trio was dismantled because they were "f--king scared," knowing that Oklahoma City was on the cusp of becoming a dominant franchise.

The Trade and Its Impact

The trade, finalized on October 27, 2012, just days before the Thunder opened the regular season, arose from a contract stalemate between Harden and the Thunder, with a mere $5 million difference leading to the deal. Harden sought a full max contract worth $60 million over four years, while Oklahoma City's final offer lingered around $55 million. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Thunder’s management prioritized team dynamics, operating under a philosophy where "the individual sacrifices for the whole." General manager Sam Presti was known for his strict negotiating tactics to avoid potential pitfalls during free agency.

At the time, many believed the Thunder’s Big Three of Durant, Harden, and Russell Westbrook could dominate the league for years to come. Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers noted that the general sentiment in the NBA was that the Thunder would consistently be a Finals contender. Despite the promising outlook, the young Thunder squad found themselves overwhelmed in the 2012 Finals against the Miami Heat.

Post-Harden Era and Thunder's Resilience

While trading Harden didn't completely derail the Thunder's ambitions—they still won at least 55 games in three of the four following seasons and made the Western Conference Finals twice—the team struggled to take the final steps towards a championship. Durant's departure to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016 to form another superteam was another twist in Oklahoma City's saga.

However, the Thunder have begun to find their way back to relevance in the league, highlighted by their shrewd 2019 trade sending Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, which provided them with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a treasure chest of draft picks. This past summer, Oklahoma City made a significant commitment by extending contracts worth $822 million to key players, a clear sign that lessons have been learned from the past, positioning the franchise for future success.